The Angry American

[Ksandra]

I think you should take it with a grain of salt.

From last I checked that was like the only show on English television that was teaching Spanish to kids. Now if Big Bird started saying "ME LLAMO BIG BIRD SOY MUY GRANDE!" then there might be something to worry about.

I can kinda see what the OP is saying and wanted to point this out. Long story but for a few weeks I was babysiting my 1 1/2 year-old nephew while my sister went to work. Sometimes I had him watch TV when I could no longer play the "let's push little will back n' forth in a stroller for 10 hours 'cause it's fun" game.

Sesame street does teach spanish. They have a segment they do everyday where a puppet with a spanish accent teaches kids a word-a-day in spanish. Not only that, it seemed that a lot a lot of the episodes had something or other involved in teaching something about the spanish culture. I even saw it in a few segments of Elmo's World.

Dragon Tales also does a lot of teaching Spanish I saw.


It is a hard subject imo. On one hand even when I was little they had shows that taught you different languages. But that was just it, they taught you different ones. Remember Big Bird in China and Big Bird in Japan?

Part of the idea of those kid shows were to teach kids different things and also give them an idea about different places/cultures. To me I'm more frustrated that all those cultures are left behind now and it's just spanish spanish spanish. In those times I watched TV with my nephew I never ever saw them discuss any other culture besides american and spanish.


That I guess is what irritated me the most when I saw them. Not that kids would be learning spanish words/culture. But that they weren't learning anything else (ie other cultures).

[Zalius]

LET ME PLEASE STATE THAT I MAY MURDER THE NEXT MEXICAN THAT COMES INTO LITTLE CAESARS AND GETS MAD THAT I DONT SPEAK SPANISH

edit: that felt amazing to get out

[Palin]

LET ME PLEASE STATE THAT I MAY MURDER THE NEXT MEXICAN THAT COMES INTO LITTLE CAESARS AND GETS MAD THAT I DONT SPEAK SPANISH

edit: that felt amazing to get out

Next time they do that just say, "Habla Ingles? No? VAMOS BITCH."

Then kick them out the door.

[Insanecyclone]

Mencia sucks.

[Kytele]

Mencia sucks.

I'm Mexican and *I* agree with that.

Actually to be honest, I may be Hispanic but in high school I never got along with the other Hispanic kids. So fucking annoying. AGGGH. I had a class next to the student parking lot, and this one guy I knew says to me "Look at my cool car, isn't it hot?" And I turned around and said "Well if my daddy was selling drugs and running a cartel I'd have a car like that too."

[Nirokun!]

Mexicans are the most ignorant, racist people I've ever met, lol. I work with them everyday (I work in a restaurant) and they love to abuse that language barrier and say shit to us in Spanish, but I understand a good majority of it. I can't tell you how many times I've been called a gringo.

have you met asians? not the ones that have lived here for a while, im talking about the FOBs and the 1st generations. Im half filipino, so dont pull that racist card i dunno, i just tell my friends (when i see a group of 3+ asians) "look, they stick together just like rice!" and we all have a good laugh

not only do they not talk to you, they dont sit with anyone else, talk about you, and shoot you dirty looks. Hispanics have always been pretty cool by my standards.

(maybe its just the younger asians, i dunno)

[Ace-o-fire]

Welp since America doesnt have a official language I think you lost this battle.

Honastly I think it's wonderful.

[Ksandra]

Welp since America doesnt have a official language I think you lost this battle.

Honastly I think it's wonderful.

Anyone else find his statement sadly ironic and depressing considering the grammar/spelling mistakes?

[SephYuyX]

If America ever ends up like (some parts onry?) Canada, and must have both english and french, or spanish in USAs case, because there is so much spanish-ness here, I forsee cival war.

[burrito]

I don't see why you're complaining, I'd be happy if my kid (if I had a kid...) was picking up on other languages. Once you pick up on your second, learning your third, fourth, and beyond is easier and easier--- and in today's job market being bilingual is a HUGE perk. I've lost out on job opportunities because the other languages I speak aren't really used out here (South US).

Take it with a grain of salt-- your child's interest in languages may lead to persual of learning other languages besides Spanish in the future. Learning other languages and skills (like playing an instrument) is very good for children developmentally.

[Enkidu]

When I have kids I'm going to buy every single episode of early 90's kids programming and just play that all day long.

I mean learning a second language is fine, after you've learned a main language.. But learning English and Spanish at basically the same time? Nah, I wouldn't want my kids going into kindergarten speaking spanglish, sorry.

[Palin]

If America ever ends up like (some parts onry?) Canada, and must have both english and french, or spanish in USAs case, because there is so much spanish-ness here, I forsee cival war.

God forbid our country's children have to use their brains to learn something.

[Kaylia]

Majority of the population here spear french, but due to our small number, english is slowly taking over. Do I care, should I try to stop that? Not at all. Some people do, but it goes against what happened in the past century. Language evolve, change and trying to stop that will just slow down the progress by making communication harder

Learning 2 language at young age will do nothing except making your life easier. Kid can do it no problem, and I see no reason why you should be worried about your daughter

[miokomioko]

When I have kids I'm going to buy every single episode of early 90's kids programming and just play that all day long.

I mean learning a second language is fine, after you've learned a main language.. But learning English and Spanish at basically the same time? Nah, I wouldn't want my kids going into kindergarten speaking spanglish, sorry.

Agreed.

When your kid is only muttering 4~5 english words, that's not the time to be learning any spanish unless that's your primary language at home.

Kids pickup learning languages much better the younger they are, but they need to learn one at a time because sentence structure might fuck them up in elementary english.

Answer: Don't let her watch Dora the Explorer. Too many parents these days don't realize they are the ones in control and can alter anything their child is exposed to while in your care. It's not television's fault that your child is saying "Azul" instead of "Blue" for the same reason it's not Rockstar's fault that some 10 year old is playing GTA and screwing virtual hookers and then running them down in a virtual stolen car.

[Fuuko]

and in today's job market being bilingual is a HUGE perk. I've lost out on job opportunities because the other languages I speak aren't really used out here (South US).

I think that is part of the problem if you ask me. Everyone seems to expect the company's and thier employees to cater to people who can not speak english, but no one wants, or expects people to learn english.

[Jeveh]

Mexicans are the most ignorant, racist people I've ever met, lol. I work with them everyday (I work in a restaurant) and they love to abuse that language barrier and say shit to us in Spanish, but I understand a good majority of it. I can't tell you how many times I've been called a gringo.

Damn, I work in a restraunt too. Its nothing like that though, the mexican (yes they are illegal) -1 of them are SO SO SO nice. The one who isnt illegal is right under the executive chef and is cool as hell.
Could just be the place you work or maybe the region of the country your in, who really knows.

This is kinda a HUGE problem with the world everywhere. When the fuck are people gonna learn its ok to be different. I say that, but in all honesty ive seen something and thought (insert racist remark here). People are pretty much conditioned in the world today to stay away from "different". One day maybe we will all learn.

Personally thats kinda where I think the world is gonna go, its where it has to go. All the racist crap and nuclear bullshit and money for this money for that garbage is gonna have to stop somewhere and people are gonna have to eventually work together or were all pretty much fucked.

To JP : Dont take it to heart and take it with a grain of salt, second languages ARE useful, and hey when she grows up if someone says something dirty to her in spanish she can say "Shut the fuck up" right back.

[Jerseyprophet]

Wow. This thread went in the direction I had hoped. It's a debate guys, remember that. Nothing I post is accidental. I like to throw out things that keep people talking, and I wouldn't admit that sometimes I dont even mean or believe my OP - simply to cause a debate. In this case, however, I meant it.

Now, in reply to some comments here and there, I'm not discouraging her to understand another language (though it'd be nice for her to grasp English first as a start lol, she's 14 mo. old), I was stating that it seemed to me that it wasn't to educate - it was that Spanish is becoming the more prominent language because of the amount of immigrants that refuse to learn English.
also, accepting*

[Demosthenes11]

The whole illegal immigration thing makes me angry. You are right, many of them do work their asses off and do jobs many americans do not want to do at that particular wage. The problem is not them, it's the people that come here and suck the system dry, sitting on their asses watching TV, illegally applying for welfare and other social programs, and just plain hopping the border to make their kids american citizens. Also, the security risk of 6,000 undocumented people a day is a HUGE reason for security concern.

To be honest, if there were no illegals doing some of the jobs in america, the companies would be forced to raise the wages, cutting into their usually large profit (which came from illegals). They raise the wage, more people then work that job, problem solved. It's economics. Strawberries will not rise to $20 a basket (I'd still pay for em anyways <3).

And yes, learning spanish at the same time as english is retarded if you live in america, I don't care where you live. Sure, America has no technical national language, but it has long been understood you learn english here or you will have no opportunity for advancement within our occupational system. Imo, learn english or GTFO. I wouldn't go to Germany and not learn German, now would I?

P.S. Mexicans (omg I didn't use Hispanics) used as illegal examples just because there are simply more of them. You "OMFG YOU ARE NAZI RACIST!!" people can gtfo

[Zypher]

I had a class next to the student parking lot, and this one guy I knew says to me "Look at my cool car, isn't it hot?" And I turned around and said "Well if my daddy was selling drugs and running a cartel I'd have a car like that too."

Did his car have chrome rims and an airbrushed picture of Virgin Mary on the hood?

[theo]

I had a class next to the student parking lot, and this one guy I knew says to me "Look at my cool car, isn't it hot?" And I turned around and said "Well if my daddy was selling drugs and running a cartel I'd have a car like that too."

Did his car have chrome rims and an airbrushed picture of Virgin Mary on the hood?

Wow, you just described about 1/3 of the Vans/SUV's in my hometown. Oh, and add a name like "Maria" or whatever in the rear window, written in some huge fancy font.

( yes I just pulled that statistic out of my ass, lol, thats just what it feels like to me driving down the street )

Really though, my town is like, freakishly white. I think there were a total of three black kids in my graduating class, and maybe 10-20 hispanic. The only asian kids I'd ever see where exchange students. Sad thing is, the small perscentage of non-whitey people in my town decided to follow just about every stereotype that ever existed, as if it was some kind of requirement.

yeah, don't move to northern indiana, it sucks >_>;