A terrific Indian doctor told me a story today that was very informative. It seems that some years ago a man who spoke no English, walked into the British embassy in his city in India and asked the gentleman behind the desk for a visa to go to England. The Brit became angry and threw the passport across the desk at the man, shouting "you can't speak a word of English, how do you expect to go to England?"
Of course the man didn't understand any of this and so he turned to the woman standing behind him and asked what the Brit had said. She explained what the official had said. The Indian man said "Please tell him that 200 years ago the British came here to India. They spoke not a word of our language, not even a single letter, yet they made out okay. Why would he think I cannot do likewise?" She did as the man asked and told the official. The Brit sheepishly retrieved the passport and stamped it approved.
The story got me to thinking about the first English speaking immigrants who came to America. They spoke no native languages, yet they seem to have made out well. So why is it that so many Americans now get so upset and angry at immigrants wanting to come to America for basically the same reasons as the first Europeans, but can't speak our language? What's so different?
Oh, that's right, they aren't coming here to steal our lands and kill us. They're coming here to share in the American dream. But that doesn't explain why so many people are so bitter about their coming here. It does seem a bit hypocritical though, doesn't it?
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Perhaps they are afraid they will be treated as we treated the Indians.
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