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bigthink t1_j9ezyhz wrote

Reply to comment by johnnyGotHisTabla in [OC] % of American students taking a foreign language class by state by ASoloTrip90000

My parents' generation immigrated to the U.S. and my older cousins were purposely kept from learning our native language (Vietnamese) out of fear that leaning it would hinder their ability to integrate into English-speaking society. From my own experience, in contrast to some of the anecdotes I've read here, it would have been impossible not to pick up native English fluency being born and raised here and attending public school. I'm grateful for every bit of Vietnamese fluency I still retain as much of it fades from my memory banks.

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johnnyGotHisTabla t1_j9f15pg wrote

>it would have been impossible not to pick up native English fluency being born and raised here and attending public school

Exactly! Yes, I think it was the fear you mentioned that kept Mama's generation from being taught Italian. I'm going a long way back: Mama was born in '46, which was really not that long after the Immigration Acts of '21 and '24 which were aimed at keeping people like my family out of the country. If no dogs or Italians were allowed, maybe don't teach the kids Italian.

I took Spanish in 8th grade in Wyoming in the 80's and didn't learn a damned thing. I can't help but wonder if it was too late, that second languages need to be learned either young or by pure immersion.

I did end up with a fairly strange accent. I speak fluent hick but it's peppered with Brooklynite idioms and accents.

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