Doug Kanter wrote:
wrote in message
...

On Mon, 08 May 2006 11:02:50 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:


Therefore, they
have the advantage of immersion, which is the best way to learn a new
language and assimilate in other ways



Now I know you have never been to Miami.



I was about to ask "What do you mean?", but I'll guess:

1) They cluster in their own neighborhoods.

2) They don't speak English.

How many points do I get?



only two points, don't forget that Radio is filled with Hispanic
stations and Latin music.

TV channels, several of them in the big cities, have a curious mix of
pure spanish and Spanglish.

Print media in the large cities caters to the local mix. We have
several different flavors of newspapers for different parts of Central
America, Mexico, China, Vietnam, Korea, and even Thailand here in Houston.

The mix of stuff changes from city to city depending on whether
Mexico/Central/South America dominates its racial mix. Miami gets
Cubans, Houston, San Diego, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta (and LOTs of
other places large and small) get Mexico/Central and South Americans.


First generation has LOTS of problems with language. Kids born here are
fluent in both what their parents speak and English, at least in most
cases. By the time third generation is around, accent is almost gone,
and the native tongue is spoken ONLY when grandparents are around. This
is true for almost ALL ethnic groups that have come to the USA, from
China, Africa, Europe, and other parts of the Americas.