Will Honea

Difference in attitude, Eric. I didn't realize that I spoke German
until I was well into my teens and started dating a girl who had
escaped from Hungary with her parents during the dustup in '56. She
spoke 7 lanuages (and all were in common use around her house). She
was delighted to discover that I understood her when she used German
and more than a little surprised when she found out I aslo spoke
Spanish (or at least a bastadrized mix of Mexican and Puerto Rican)
since very few people she had met in the States spoke anything other
than English - with the exception of first generation immigrants.
This was not a concious process on my part - it was more self
preservation: When my Grandmother started hollering in German I
quickly learned that I damned well BETTER understand what she was
saying. The Spanish came from growing up in South/West Texas and 5
years in Puerto Rico.

The ironic part came a few years later. When it came time to choose a
language at the AF Academy, I was not permitted to take Spanish
because I had taken a Spanish course in High School. Instead, they
assigned me to a German class.

It's a pity that this country has become so weak in language arts. I
speak German and Spanish, read French well enough for technical work,
and could navigate the Japanese subway/rail system within 2 weeks of
arrival. I am pretty opinionated about uncontrolled immigration but
that doesn't lessen the need to appreciate multiple languages.

On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 23:22:18 UTC "Eric" <eric@nospam.com> wrote:

> My paternal grandparents came over to the US in the mid 1920's from
> Norway. They got married in NYC, and had two children, one of
> them my father (obviously). My dad and aunt only knew how to
> speak Norwegian till they were about 4 and 2 yo respectively.
> My grandparents realizing that dad would be going to school in a year
> had better teach him English. So they did. My grandparents spoke
> perfect English. They had to. My grandfather was an architect in a
> very big NYC architectural firm, and my grandmother was for all practical
> purposes a nurse but without the degree. They would only speak
> Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, or, German over the phone with friends
> when they didn't want us grand kids to know what they were talking
> about! :) Oh, my grandparents both learned to speak Spanish in their
> 70's so they could "speak the language" when they vacationed in Spain.
>
> Eric
>
> 92XJ, 97XJ, & 02KJ
>
>
> "Matt Macchiarolo" <matt@nospamplease.com> wrote in message
> news:wt6dnbWUy-Ion-venZ2dnUVZ_vydnZ2d@comcast.com...
> > .
> > >
> > > This country truly was a melting pot as back then the immigrants wanted
> to
> > > FIT IN and be Americans, nothing more.
> >
> > Clarification: The immigrants who came over in the late 1800's/early
> 1900's
> > had for the most part a difficult time assimilating, and they ended up
> > settling in large numbers in specific regions (think of the predominantly
> > ethnic neighborhoods of NYC). By and large the immigrants tried to keep
> > their "old world" ways while making a new life here. Hence, a lot of them
> > even then didn't learn English, but they didn't really have to since they
> > lived in neighborhoods where their native language was spoken. There were
> > exceptions of course, but I'm talking about the vast majority.
> >
> > The children of the immigrants, however, were the ones to embrace
> > assimilation and "cast off" the old world ways, attended school here and
> > learned English, and saw America as their true home.
> >
> > My father's mother moved to this country in the early 1900's (she was very
> > young then, moved here with her parents). My grandfather's family moved
> here
> > and he was born here around the same time. They all settled in the
> > Pittsburgh area where most of the Italian immigrants worked in the steel
> > mills. Since they were mainly Italians, the mills had Italian foremen who
> > could communicate well. I don;t think my great-grandfather's generation
> ever
> > learned to speak English well, but my grandparents spoke both English and
> > Italian, since they grew up in the American schools but at home Italian
> was
> > spoken. Growing up in my immediate family, we only spoke English in the
> > household, but I grew up in southern Arkansas...not many last names ending
> > in vowels there.
> >
> > There were a lot of English/Irish in the Pittsburgh area too, and that was
> > my mother's background. But her family emigrated prior to the
> Revolutionary
> > War and originally settled in Virginia, if memory serves.
> >
> > To get back on topic, my great uncle (grandfather's brother, son of
> Italian
> > immigrants) served in the US forces in North Africa during WWII as a tank
> > driver. He lost most of his hearing and his hair turned white before he
> > finished his tour.
> >
> > Wifey's dad was in the 7th Infantry in Korea, serving initially in Inchon.
> > His best memories during the war were driving around Marilyn Monroe for a
> > few days.
> >
> >
> >
>
>


--
Will Honea

Will Honea

Difference in attitude, Eric. I didn't realize that I spoke German
until I was well into my teens and started dating a girl who had
escaped from Hungary with her parents during the dustup in '56. She
spoke 7 lanuages (and all were in common use around her house). She
was delighted to discover that I understood her when she used German
and more than a little surprised when she found out I aslo spoke
Spanish (or at least a bastadrized mix of Mexican and Puerto Rican)
since very few people she had met in the States spoke anything other
than English - with the exception of first generation immigrants.
This was not a concious process on my part - it was more self
preservation: When my Grandmother started hollering in German I
quickly learned that I damned well BETTER understand what she was
saying. The Spanish came from growing up in South/West Texas and 5
years in Puerto Rico.

The ironic part came a few years later. When it came time to choose a
language at the AF Academy, I was not permitted to take Spanish
because I had taken a Spanish course in High School. Instead, they
assigned me to a German class.

It's a pity that this country has become so weak in language arts. I
speak German and Spanish, read French well enough for technical work,
and could navigate the Japanese subway/rail system within 2 weeks of
arrival. I am pretty opinionated about uncontrolled immigration but
that doesn't lessen the need to appreciate multiple languages.

On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 23:22:18 UTC "Eric" <eric@nospam.com> wrote:

> My paternal grandparents came over to the US in the mid 1920's from
> Norway. They got married in NYC, and had two children, one of
> them my father (obviously). My dad and aunt only knew how to
> speak Norwegian till they were about 4 and 2 yo respectively.
> My grandparents realizing that dad would be going to school in a year
> had better teach him English. So they did. My grandparents spoke
> perfect English. They had to. My grandfather was an architect in a
> very big NYC architectural firm, and my grandmother was for all practical
> purposes a nurse but without the degree. They would only speak
> Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, or, German over the phone with friends
> when they didn't want us grand kids to know what they were talking
> about! :) Oh, my grandparents both learned to speak Spanish in their
> 70's so they could "speak the language" when they vacationed in Spain.
>
> Eric
>
> 92XJ, 97XJ, & 02KJ
>
>
> "Matt Macchiarolo" <matt@nospamplease.com> wrote in message
> news:wt6dnbWUy-Ion-venZ2dnUVZ_vydnZ2d@comcast.com...
> > .
> > >
> > > This country truly was a melting pot as back then the immigrants wanted
> to
> > > FIT IN and be Americans, nothing more.
> >
> > Clarification: The immigrants who came over in the late 1800's/early
> 1900's
> > had for the most part a difficult time assimilating, and they ended up
> > settling in large numbers in specific regions (think of the predominantly
> > ethnic neighborhoods of NYC). By and large the immigrants tried to keep
> > their "old world" ways while making a new life here. Hence, a lot of them
> > even then didn't learn English, but they didn't really have to since they
> > lived in neighborhoods where their native language was spoken. There were
> > exceptions of course, but I'm talking about the vast majority.
> >
> > The children of the immigrants, however, were the ones to embrace
> > assimilation and "cast off" the old world ways, attended school here and
> > learned English, and saw America as their true home.
> >
> > My father's mother moved to this country in the early 1900's (she was very
> > young then, moved here with her parents). My grandfather's family moved
> here
> > and he was born here around the same time. They all settled in the
> > Pittsburgh area where most of the Italian immigrants worked in the steel
> > mills. Since they were mainly Italians, the mills had Italian foremen who
> > could communicate well. I don;t think my great-grandfather's generation
> ever
> > learned to speak English well, but my grandparents spoke both English and
> > Italian, since they grew up in the American schools but at home Italian
> was
> > spoken. Growing up in my immediate family, we only spoke English in the
> > household, but I grew up in southern Arkansas...not many last names ending
> > in vowels there.
> >
> > There were a lot of English/Irish in the Pittsburgh area too, and that was
> > my mother's background. But her family emigrated prior to the
> Revolutionary
> > War and originally settled in Virginia, if memory serves.
> >
> > To get back on topic, my great uncle (grandfather's brother, son of
> Italian
> > immigrants) served in the US forces in North Africa during WWII as a tank
> > driver. He lost most of his hearing and his hair turned white before he
> > finished his tour.
> >
> > Wifey's dad was in the 7th Infantry in Korea, serving initially in Inchon.
> > His best memories during the war were driving around Marilyn Monroe for a
> > few days.
> >
> >
> >
>
>


--
Will Honea

Will Honea

Difference in attitude, Eric. I didn't realize that I spoke German
until I was well into my teens and started dating a girl who had
escaped from Hungary with her parents during the dustup in '56. She
spoke 7 lanuages (and all were in common use around her house). She
was delighted to discover that I understood her when she used German
and more than a little surprised when she found out I aslo spoke
Spanish (or at least a bastadrized mix of Mexican and Puerto Rican)
since very few people she had met in the States spoke anything other
than English - with the exception of first generation immigrants.
This was not a concious process on my part - it was more self
preservation: When my Grandmother started hollering in German I
quickly learned that I damned well BETTER understand what she was
saying. The Spanish came from growing up in South/West Texas and 5
years in Puerto Rico.

The ironic part came a few years later. When it came time to choose a
language at the AF Academy, I was not permitted to take Spanish
because I had taken a Spanish course in High School. Instead, they
assigned me to a German class.

It's a pity that this country has become so weak in language arts. I
speak German and Spanish, read French well enough for technical work,
and could navigate the Japanese subway/rail system within 2 weeks of
arrival. I am pretty opinionated about uncontrolled immigration but
that doesn't lessen the need to appreciate multiple languages.

On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 23:22:18 UTC "Eric" <eric@nospam.com> wrote:

> My paternal grandparents came over to the US in the mid 1920's from
> Norway. They got married in NYC, and had two children, one of
> them my father (obviously). My dad and aunt only knew how to
> speak Norwegian till they were about 4 and 2 yo respectively.
> My grandparents realizing that dad would be going to school in a year
> had better teach him English. So they did. My grandparents spoke
> perfect English. They had to. My grandfather was an architect in a
> very big NYC architectural firm, and my grandmother was for all practical
> purposes a nurse but without the degree. They would only speak
> Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, or, German over the phone with friends
> when they didn't want us grand kids to know what they were talking
> about! :) Oh, my grandparents both learned to speak Spanish in their
> 70's so they could "speak the language" when they vacationed in Spain.
>
> Eric
>
> 92XJ, 97XJ, & 02KJ
>
>
> "Matt Macchiarolo" <matt@nospamplease.com> wrote in message
> news:wt6dnbWUy-Ion-venZ2dnUVZ_vydnZ2d@comcast.com...
> > .
> > >
> > > This country truly was a melting pot as back then the immigrants wanted
> to
> > > FIT IN and be Americans, nothing more.
> >
> > Clarification: The immigrants who came over in the late 1800's/early
> 1900's
> > had for the most part a difficult time assimilating, and they ended up
> > settling in large numbers in specific regions (think of the predominantly
> > ethnic neighborhoods of NYC). By and large the immigrants tried to keep
> > their "old world" ways while making a new life here. Hence, a lot of them
> > even then didn't learn English, but they didn't really have to since they
> > lived in neighborhoods where their native language was spoken. There were
> > exceptions of course, but I'm talking about the vast majority.
> >
> > The children of the immigrants, however, were the ones to embrace
> > assimilation and "cast off" the old world ways, attended school here and
> > learned English, and saw America as their true home.
> >
> > My father's mother moved to this country in the early 1900's (she was very
> > young then, moved here with her parents). My grandfather's family moved
> here
> > and he was born here around the same time. They all settled in the
> > Pittsburgh area where most of the Italian immigrants worked in the steel
> > mills. Since they were mainly Italians, the mills had Italian foremen who
> > could communicate well. I don;t think my great-grandfather's generation
> ever
> > learned to speak English well, but my grandparents spoke both English and
> > Italian, since they grew up in the American schools but at home Italian
> was
> > spoken. Growing up in my immediate family, we only spoke English in the
> > household, but I grew up in southern Arkansas...not many last names ending
> > in vowels there.
> >
> > There were a lot of English/Irish in the Pittsburgh area too, and that was
> > my mother's background. But her family emigrated prior to the
> Revolutionary
> > War and originally settled in Virginia, if memory serves.
> >
> > To get back on topic, my great uncle (grandfather's brother, son of
> Italian
> > immigrants) served in the US forces in North Africa during WWII as a tank
> > driver. He lost most of his hearing and his hair turned white before he
> > finished his tour.
> >
> > Wifey's dad was in the 7th Infantry in Korea, serving initially in Inchon.
> > His best memories during the war were driving around Marilyn Monroe for a
> > few days.
> >
> >
> >
>
>


--
Will Honea

Eric

Will, I think it's called adapt or assimilate? I've never had the
pleasure of going to a country where English wasn't the "official"
language in OCONUS. But, from my fellow GI's who have had
the pleasure, they all said, that you learn the language of the
host country if you want to get around on your own. I think
that we can all agree that it's up to the individual. Those who
learn the language of their new or host country will forge ahead,
those that don't or won't, will be out in the cold.
With the exception of a few words, and phrases, my siblings, cousins,
and I were never privelaged to learn the language of our Norwegian
grandparents. What I still know, I've passed down to my children.
Well, off to work. Enjoy life...one day at a time!

Eric
N2JHJ
92XJ, 02KJ,
and my 97 XJ alng with me...both Hurricane Katrina survivors!


On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 06:49:14 GMT, "Will Honea" <whonea@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>Difference in attitude, Eric. I didn't realize that I spoke German
>until I was well into my teens and started dating a girl who had
>escaped from Hungary with her parents during the dustup in '56. She
>spoke 7 lanuages (and all were in common use around her house). She
>was delighted to discover that I understood her when she used German
>and more than a little surprised when she found out I aslo spoke
>Spanish (or at least a bastadrized mix of Mexican and Puerto Rican)
>since very few people she had met in the States spoke anything other
>than English - with the exception of first generation immigrants.
>This was not a concious process on my part - it was more self
>preservation: When my Grandmother started hollering in German I
>quickly learned that I damned well BETTER understand what she was
>saying. The Spanish came from growing up in South/West Texas and 5
>years in Puerto Rico.
>
>The ironic part came a few years later. When it came time to choose a
>language at the AF Academy, I was not permitted to take Spanish
>because I had taken a Spanish course in High School. Instead, they
>assigned me to a German class.
>
>It's a pity that this country has become so weak in language arts. I
>speak German and Spanish, read French well enough for technical work,
>and could navigate the Japanese subway/rail system within 2 weeks of
>arrival. I am pretty opinionated about uncontrolled immigration but
>that doesn't lessen the need to appreciate multiple languages.
>
>On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 23:22:18 UTC "Eric" <eric@nospam.com> wrote:
>
>> My paternal grandparents came over to the US in the mid 1920's from
>> Norway. They got married in NYC, and had two children, one of
>> them my father (obviously). My dad and aunt only knew how to
>> speak Norwegian till they were about 4 and 2 yo respectively.
>> My grandparents realizing that dad would be going to school in a year
>> had better teach him English. So they did. My grandparents spoke
>> perfect English. They had to. My grandfather was an architect in a
>> very big NYC architectural firm, and my grandmother was for all practical
>> purposes a nurse but without the degree. They would only speak
>> Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, or, German over the phone with friends
>> when they didn't want us grand kids to know what they were talking
>> about! :) Oh, my grandparents both learned to speak Spanish in their
>> 70's so they could "speak the language" when they vacationed in Spain.
>>
>> Eric
>>
>> 92XJ, 97XJ, & 02KJ
>>
>>
>> "Matt Macchiarolo" <matt@nospamplease.com> wrote in message
>> news:wt6dnbWUy-Ion-venZ2dnUVZ_vydnZ2d@comcast.com...
>> > .
>> > >
>> > > This country truly was a melting pot as back then the immigrants wanted
>> to
>> > > FIT IN and be Americans, nothing more.
>> >
>> > Clarification: The immigrants who came over in the late 1800's/early
>> 1900's
>> > had for the most part a difficult time assimilating, and they ended up
>> > settling in large numbers in specific regions (think of the predominantly
>> > ethnic neighborhoods of NYC). By and large the immigrants tried to keep
>> > their "old world" ways while making a new life here. Hence, a lot of them
>> > even then didn't learn English, but they didn't really have to since they
>> > lived in neighborhoods where their native language was spoken. There were
>> > exceptions of course, but I'm talking about the vast majority.
>> >
>> > The children of the immigrants, however, were the ones to embrace
>> > assimilation and "cast off" the old world ways, attended school here and
>> > learned English, and saw America as their true home.
>> >
>> > My father's mother moved to this country in the early 1900's (she was very
>> > young then, moved here with her parents). My grandfather's family moved
>> here
>> > and he was born here around the same time. They all settled in the
>> > Pittsburgh area where most of the Italian immigrants worked in the steel
>> > mills. Since they were mainly Italians, the mills had Italian foremen who
>> > could communicate well. I don;t think my great-grandfather's generation
>> ever
>> > learned to speak English well, but my grandparents spoke both English and
>> > Italian, since they grew up in the American schools but at home Italian
>> was
>> > spoken. Growing up in my immediate family, we only spoke English in the
>> > household, but I grew up in southern Arkansas...not many last names ending
>> > in vowels there.
>> >
>> > There were a lot of English/Irish in the Pittsburgh area too, and that was
>> > my mother's background. But her family emigrated prior to the
>> Revolutionary
>> > War and originally settled in Virginia, if memory serves.
>> >
>> > To get back on topic, my great uncle (grandfather's brother, son of
>> Italian
>> > immigrants) served in the US forces in North Africa during WWII as a tank
>> > driver. He lost most of his hearing and his hair turned white before he
>> > finished his tour.
>> >
>> > Wifey's dad was in the 7th Infantry in Korea, serving initially in Inchon.
>> > His best memories during the war were driving around Marilyn Monroe for a
>> > few days.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>>

Eric

Will, I think it's called adapt or assimilate? I've never had the
pleasure of going to a country where English wasn't the "official"
language in OCONUS. But, from my fellow GI's who have had
the pleasure, they all said, that you learn the language of the
host country if you want to get around on your own. I think
that we can all agree that it's up to the individual. Those who
learn the language of their new or host country will forge ahead,
those that don't or won't, will be out in the cold.
With the exception of a few words, and phrases, my siblings, cousins,
and I were never privelaged to learn the language of our Norwegian
grandparents. What I still know, I've passed down to my children.
Well, off to work. Enjoy life...one day at a time!

Eric
N2JHJ
92XJ, 02KJ,
and my 97 XJ alng with me...both Hurricane Katrina survivors!


On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 06:49:14 GMT, "Will Honea" <whonea@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>Difference in attitude, Eric. I didn't realize that I spoke German
>until I was well into my teens and started dating a girl who had
>escaped from Hungary with her parents during the dustup in '56. She
>spoke 7 lanuages (and all were in common use around her house). She
>was delighted to discover that I understood her when she used German
>and more than a little surprised when she found out I aslo spoke
>Spanish (or at least a bastadrized mix of Mexican and Puerto Rican)
>since very few people she had met in the States spoke anything other
>than English - with the exception of first generation immigrants.
>This was not a concious process on my part - it was more self
>preservation: When my Grandmother started hollering in German I
>quickly learned that I damned well BETTER understand what she was
>saying. The Spanish came from growing up in South/West Texas and 5
>years in Puerto Rico.
>
>The ironic part came a few years later. When it came time to choose a
>language at the AF Academy, I was not permitted to take Spanish
>because I had taken a Spanish course in High School. Instead, they
>assigned me to a German class.
>
>It's a pity that this country has become so weak in language arts. I
>speak German and Spanish, read French well enough for technical work,
>and could navigate the Japanese subway/rail system within 2 weeks of
>arrival. I am pretty opinionated about uncontrolled immigration but
>that doesn't lessen the need to appreciate multiple languages.
>
>On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 23:22:18 UTC "Eric" <eric@nospam.com> wrote:
>
>> My paternal grandparents came over to the US in the mid 1920's from
>> Norway. They got married in NYC, and had two children, one of
>> them my father (obviously). My dad and aunt only knew how to
>> speak Norwegian till they were about 4 and 2 yo respectively.
>> My grandparents realizing that dad would be going to school in a year
>> had better teach him English. So they did. My grandparents spoke
>> perfect English. They had to. My grandfather was an architect in a
>> very big NYC architectural firm, and my grandmother was for all practical
>> purposes a nurse but without the degree. They would only speak
>> Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, or, German over the phone with friends
>> when they didn't want us grand kids to know what they were talking
>> about! :) Oh, my grandparents both learned to speak Spanish in their
>> 70's so they could "speak the language" when they vacationed in Spain.
>>
>> Eric
>>
>> 92XJ, 97XJ, & 02KJ
>>
>>
>> "Matt Macchiarolo" <matt@nospamplease.com> wrote in message
>> news:wt6dnbWUy-Ion-venZ2dnUVZ_vydnZ2d@comcast.com...
>> > .
>> > >
>> > > This country truly was a melting pot as back then the immigrants wanted
>> to
>> > > FIT IN and be Americans, nothing more.
>> >
>> > Clarification: The immigrants who came over in the late 1800's/early
>> 1900's
>> > had for the most part a difficult time assimilating, and they ended up
>> > settling in large numbers in specific regions (think of the predominantly
>> > ethnic neighborhoods of NYC). By and large the immigrants tried to keep
>> > their "old world" ways while making a new life here. Hence, a lot of them
>> > even then didn't learn English, but they didn't really have to since they
>> > lived in neighborhoods where their native language was spoken. There were
>> > exceptions of course, but I'm talking about the vast majority.
>> >
>> > The children of the immigrants, however, were the ones to embrace
>> > assimilation and "cast off" the old world ways, attended school here and
>> > learned English, and saw America as their true home.
>> >
>> > My father's mother moved to this country in the early 1900's (she was very
>> > young then, moved here with her parents). My grandfather's family moved
>> here
>> > and he was born here around the same time. They all settled in the
>> > Pittsburgh area where most of the Italian immigrants worked in the steel
>> > mills. Since they were mainly Italians, the mills had Italian foremen who
>> > could communicate well. I don;t think my great-grandfather's generation
>> ever
>> > learned to speak English well, but my grandparents spoke both English and
>> > Italian, since they grew up in the American schools but at home Italian
>> was
>> > spoken. Growing up in my immediate family, we only spoke English in the
>> > household, but I grew up in southern Arkansas...not many last names ending
>> > in vowels there.
>> >
>> > There were a lot of English/Irish in the Pittsburgh area too, and that was
>> > my mother's background. But her family emigrated prior to the
>> Revolutionary
>> > War and originally settled in Virginia, if memory serves.
>> >
>> > To get back on topic, my great uncle (grandfather's brother, son of
>> Italian
>> > immigrants) served in the US forces in North Africa during WWII as a tank
>> > driver. He lost most of his hearing and his hair turned white before he
>> > finished his tour.
>> >
>> > Wifey's dad was in the 7th Infantry in Korea, serving initially in Inchon.
>> > His best memories during the war were driving around Marilyn Monroe for a
>> > few days.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>>

Eric

Will, I think it's called adapt or assimilate? I've never had the
pleasure of going to a country where English wasn't the "official"
language in OCONUS. But, from my fellow GI's who have had
the pleasure, they all said, that you learn the language of the
host country if you want to get around on your own. I think
that we can all agree that it's up to the individual. Those who
learn the language of their new or host country will forge ahead,
those that don't or won't, will be out in the cold.
With the exception of a few words, and phrases, my siblings, cousins,
and I were never privelaged to learn the language of our Norwegian
grandparents. What I still know, I've passed down to my children.
Well, off to work. Enjoy life...one day at a time!

Eric
N2JHJ
92XJ, 02KJ,
and my 97 XJ alng with me...both Hurricane Katrina survivors!


On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 06:49:14 GMT, "Will Honea" <whonea@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>Difference in attitude, Eric. I didn't realize that I spoke German
>until I was well into my teens and started dating a girl who had
>escaped from Hungary with her parents during the dustup in '56. She
>spoke 7 lanuages (and all were in common use around her house). She
>was delighted to discover that I understood her when she used German
>and more than a little surprised when she found out I aslo spoke
>Spanish (or at least a bastadrized mix of Mexican and Puerto Rican)
>since very few people she had met in the States spoke anything other
>than English - with the exception of first generation immigrants.
>This was not a concious process on my part - it was more self
>preservation: When my Grandmother started hollering in German I
>quickly learned that I damned well BETTER understand what she was
>saying. The Spanish came from growing up in South/West Texas and 5
>years in Puerto Rico.
>
>The ironic part came a few years later. When it came time to choose a
>language at the AF Academy, I was not permitted to take Spanish
>because I had taken a Spanish course in High School. Instead, they
>assigned me to a German class.
>
>It's a pity that this country has become so weak in language arts. I
>speak German and Spanish, read French well enough for technical work,
>and could navigate the Japanese subway/rail system within 2 weeks of
>arrival. I am pretty opinionated about uncontrolled immigration but
>that doesn't lessen the need to appreciate multiple languages.
>
>On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 23:22:18 UTC "Eric" <eric@nospam.com> wrote:
>
>> My paternal grandparents came over to the US in the mid 1920's from
>> Norway. They got married in NYC, and had two children, one of
>> them my father (obviously). My dad and aunt only knew how to
>> speak Norwegian till they were about 4 and 2 yo respectively.
>> My grandparents realizing that dad would be going to school in a year
>> had better teach him English. So they did. My grandparents spoke
>> perfect English. They had to. My grandfather was an architect in a
>> very big NYC architectural firm, and my grandmother was for all practical
>> purposes a nurse but without the degree. They would only speak
>> Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, or, German over the phone with friends
>> when they didn't want us grand kids to know what they were talking
>> about! :) Oh, my grandparents both learned to speak Spanish in their
>> 70's so they could "speak the language" when they vacationed in Spain.
>>
>> Eric
>>
>> 92XJ, 97XJ, & 02KJ
>>
>>
>> "Matt Macchiarolo" <matt@nospamplease.com> wrote in message
>> news:wt6dnbWUy-Ion-venZ2dnUVZ_vydnZ2d@comcast.com...
>> > .
>> > >
>> > > This country truly was a melting pot as back then the immigrants wanted
>> to
>> > > FIT IN and be Americans, nothing more.
>> >
>> > Clarification: The immigrants who came over in the late 1800's/early
>> 1900's
>> > had for the most part a difficult time assimilating, and they ended up
>> > settling in large numbers in specific regions (think of the predominantly
>> > ethnic neighborhoods of NYC). By and large the immigrants tried to keep
>> > their "old world" ways while making a new life here. Hence, a lot of them
>> > even then didn't learn English, but they didn't really have to since they
>> > lived in neighborhoods where their native language was spoken. There were
>> > exceptions of course, but I'm talking about the vast majority.
>> >
>> > The children of the immigrants, however, were the ones to embrace
>> > assimilation and "cast off" the old world ways, attended school here and
>> > learned English, and saw America as their true home.
>> >
>> > My father's mother moved to this country in the early 1900's (she was very
>> > young then, moved here with her parents). My grandfather's family moved
>> here
>> > and he was born here around the same time. They all settled in the
>> > Pittsburgh area where most of the Italian immigrants worked in the steel
>> > mills. Since they were mainly Italians, the mills had Italian foremen who
>> > could communicate well. I don;t think my great-grandfather's generation
>> ever
>> > learned to speak English well, but my grandparents spoke both English and
>> > Italian, since they grew up in the American schools but at home Italian
>> was
>> > spoken. Growing up in my immediate family, we only spoke English in the
>> > household, but I grew up in southern Arkansas...not many last names ending
>> > in vowels there.
>> >
>> > There were a lot of English/Irish in the Pittsburgh area too, and that was
>> > my mother's background. But her family emigrated prior to the
>> Revolutionary
>> > War and originally settled in Virginia, if memory serves.
>> >
>> > To get back on topic, my great uncle (grandfather's brother, son of
>> Italian
>> > immigrants) served in the US forces in North Africa during WWII as a tank
>> > driver. He lost most of his hearing and his hair turned white before he
>> > finished his tour.
>> >
>> > Wifey's dad was in the 7th Infantry in Korea, serving initially in Inchon.
>> > His best memories during the war were driving around Marilyn Monroe for a
>> > few days.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>>