It is reported by Sphere.com that “French lawmakers said they want to ban Muslim women from veiling their faces in public facilities, a plan applauded by some French Muslim women but criticized by Muslim leaders, who said it could provoke Islamic extremists in France and abroad.”
The Toronto Star reports Quebec, Canada is the province that requires all schools to conduct their classes in French. The street names are all in French. Most of the people conduct their lives using French. Of Montreal’s five newspapers only one is written in English. To become a citizen of Quebec new immigrants must attend “culture lessons” and that the application for citizenship in Quebec requires applicants to sign a declaration agreeing to abide by the province’s values.
When you move to most nations you must learn to conform to their culture. However, the United States is different. Here we accept everyone including those who do not share American values. That acceptance of everyone has resulted in Mexicans, Chinese, and many others living in isolated communities where they never have to speak anything but their native language even though they are second and third generation Americans.
Those people who refuse to participate in the American melting pot are similar to those immigrants that pass up citizenship in Quebec.
Yes, I am pointing to the Latino population in the states bordering Mexico. At an ever increasing pace their numbers are growing larger. So much so that by 2050 the State of California is projecting that the Hispanic population will exceed 52% in 2050. There is no law that requires English usage or that makes English the official language of the state or the nation.
I believe the French and Québécois are correct in wanting immigrants to conform to their native societies. The United States ought to have similar requirements for those wanting to immigrate to this nation. It’s called assimilation.
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