4/7

            Although I am not surprised that the number of foreign-born people in the United States has doubled, it is something that will affect my career positively in the future. Also, it is something that many professionals and people have to take into consideration. We need to learn as a country to become a more diverse and open community so that we become a more accepting country. Personally, this affects me because I want to become an ESL elementary school teacher. It is especially important in the young ages to teach them about being accepting of everyone no matter what race, culture, ethnicity, etc. a student is. It has intrigued me that there have become so many different English languages amongst all the cultures and backgrounds of people that have come to this country. It bothers me when people say that someone is speaking incorrect English because there are so many World Englishes now that we cannot say there is one “correct” or “standard” English that everyone has to speak.

            I was really hurt and shocked by the conversation that I read about in the Kubota article about the Asian and middle-class white male. Although in some cases such as this conversation, it may be hard to understand someone, nowhere does it say that everyone in the United States has to speak the same language or type of English. How can we make people assimilate to the American culture when we are trying to become more of a diverse country? There are also other, more polite ways that the white male could have communicated with the Asian if he did not understand what he was saying. We as Americans and a changing country, have to understand that especially for adults, it is very difficult to acquire a second language. They are not going to acquire a second language as quickly or easily as a child under the age of twelve would pick it up. We need to become a more accepting and understanding country in order to work together and become a more diverse country.