Reply #19: I am positive I am going to get flamed for this:

[Marrah_G]

I get phone calls from a really wide variety of immigrants here in New England. We have people from all over the world coming to college here and then staying on. Some of the accents are tough and some you can tell are really new to the language, but we work through the conversation somehow. The only people who ever ask for their own language are spanish speaking callers. About 1/3 of them hang up when I tell them we don't have anyone who speaks spanish in the office.

So I think in some areas, where an immigrant can live their whole lives without learning english, you do find people left at a disadvantage. Non- english speakers make less money in the long run and have less opportunity outside of their community. I think you are also correct in thinking people stereotype people who have not learned the language.

I am a proponent of free and available ESL classes for anyone who wants them.