Oh, The Irony Of It All - Pt. 2
If you've read "I Am American", below, you know that my mother was born in Colorado. Her parents and their parents were born in Kraft and Frank, Russia. They all spoke German, even Mom. When it was time for my mother to attend the local, English speaking school, she still spoke only German.
When school was out for the summer, the principal came to her house asking to speak to her father. Grandpa invited the man in and was told that if my mother couldn't speak English before the first day of class in the Fall, she would not be allowed to stay. He handed Grandpa a second grade student primer and told him Mom would have to read and understand it to remain in school. The principal suggested that Grandpa find someone who could teach my mother to speak and read English in the three short months before school started again.
Grandpa hired a Russian Immigrant to teach my mother how to speak and read English in less than three months.
The first day of class, Mom’s teacher brought her up to her desk and asked if she could read the primer.
My mother, bursting with pride, said in English, "Yes, ma'am, I can."
"Wonderful!" Exclaimed the teacher, "Then, please, would you read from this page?"
My mother lifted the primer from the teacher's hands and began to read. Her English was perfect and she read each word correctly. The only problem was that she read from the right side of the page to the left, as the Russian tutor had taught her!
My mother's teacher was a wonderful and patient woman who took the time to reorient Mom's style of reading and by the end of the year no one would ever know Mom started school speaking and understanding only German.
After that incident, Grandpa made a house rule: Whenever his family was at home, they could speak German or English, but when they were out in public, they all had to speak English. He was concerned about fitting in, and becoming a good American, even though he himself preferred speaking German.
Grandpa was true to his word, and when I visited his house as a child, I listened to a combination of German and English, though I never learned to speak German.
I have found over the last year that many Americans (those of Mexican nationality, too) will only say in confidence that they think people immigrating into our country should speak/learn English; it is difficult to accommodate all the different cultures and languages. People are upset about new-comers using the discrimination option all too often and it's my opinion that if others refuse to learn the language of their new country, then that is discrimination, too.
Pinxter
When school was out for the summer, the principal came to her house asking to speak to her father. Grandpa invited the man in and was told that if my mother couldn't speak English before the first day of class in the Fall, she would not be allowed to stay. He handed Grandpa a second grade student primer and told him Mom would have to read and understand it to remain in school. The principal suggested that Grandpa find someone who could teach my mother to speak and read English in the three short months before school started again.
Grandpa hired a Russian Immigrant to teach my mother how to speak and read English in less than three months.
The first day of class, Mom’s teacher brought her up to her desk and asked if she could read the primer.
My mother, bursting with pride, said in English, "Yes, ma'am, I can."
"Wonderful!" Exclaimed the teacher, "Then, please, would you read from this page?"
My mother lifted the primer from the teacher's hands and began to read. Her English was perfect and she read each word correctly. The only problem was that she read from the right side of the page to the left, as the Russian tutor had taught her!
My mother's teacher was a wonderful and patient woman who took the time to reorient Mom's style of reading and by the end of the year no one would ever know Mom started school speaking and understanding only German.
After that incident, Grandpa made a house rule: Whenever his family was at home, they could speak German or English, but when they were out in public, they all had to speak English. He was concerned about fitting in, and becoming a good American, even though he himself preferred speaking German.
Grandpa was true to his word, and when I visited his house as a child, I listened to a combination of German and English, though I never learned to speak German.
I have found over the last year that many Americans (those of Mexican nationality, too) will only say in confidence that they think people immigrating into our country should speak/learn English; it is difficult to accommodate all the different cultures and languages. People are upset about new-comers using the discrimination option all too often and it's my opinion that if others refuse to learn the language of their new country, then that is discrimination, too.
Pinxter
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