Re: adios WARE

[dan.strassberg@worldnet.att.net]

When I was a kid in New York in the 40s, there was 
ethnic radio too. WOV (now WADO) broadcast in Italian 
from sign-on to 7:00 PM and in English during the 
evenings and overnight. WEVD (1330) broadcast primarily 
in Yiddish, I don't recall what language or languages 
WBNX (now WKDM) broadcast in. WHOM (now WZRC, I believe) 
broadcast full-time in Italian. And WWRL (believe it or 
not, the calls haven't changed) was multi-ethnic then 
and is Gospel (I think) now.

But as the minorities to whom the ethnic programming of 
the 40s was aimed begat new generations, they 
assimilated. For example, very few third-generation 
Italian-Americans speak enough Italian to understand a 
conversation among native Italian speakers or be 
understood by them.

I know that many younger Hispanics in America are fluent 
in English, but I have the impression that, even among 
those in their 20s who were born in the 50 states (can't 
say bnorn in the US, because Puerto Rico is part of the 
US), the majority are uncomfortable using English--if 
they speak it at all. I think the refusal of Hispanics 
in particular to accept the common language of their 
adopted homeland is one of the tragedies of late 20th 
century America.

I certainly understand the desire of national groups to 
retain their heritage in a diverse multicultural society 
such as this. But for all of America's divisions, one of 
the strongest reasons this country has stayed together 
is our common language. If America is to remain unified 
in the 21st century, we must find a way to pursuade 
people who adopt America as their homeland to also adopt 
its language.

And if pursuasion doesn't work, we should make very sure 
that anyone who becomes a naturalized citizen is 
sufficiently fluent in English to read the daily English-
language newspaper, understand what is being said in 
English on the radio, and converse intelligibly with 
native-born Americans.