wiegie Posted June 15, 2007 Author Share Posted June 15, 2007 In a somewhat related story, I am teaching a summer course right now and I let my students write an optional term paper to replace their lowest test score if they so desire. One of my students just arrived in the US from Thailand two months ago and she is easily the best student in my class (getting a 97%, 100% and 100%, respectively, on her first three exams). She came up to me the other day and wanted to talk about the topic she had picked for her term paper. I interrupted her and explained to her that the paper was optional (since I thought she might have misunderstood), but she replied, "I know it is optional, but I want to practice my English." I was like: My only hope is that she stays in America to work after graduation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Mind you, I guess Arnie did have an advantage or two.......$$$$$$ Did Arnie have much money when he first moved here? Ican't imaging bodybuilding at that time had a lot of money in it. It wasn't until much later that he got into movies, etc.? I think maybe he just had a drive to succeed (as evidenced by his hard work in the gym, translating to hard work on his, ahem, acting and also his work as governor) whereas a large portion of immigrants nowadays are not so much looking to better their lives compared to looking for a free ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Not usually, no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 (edited) In a somewhat related story, I am teaching a summer course right now and I let my students write an optional term paper to replace their lowest test score if they so desire. One of my students just arrived in the US from Thailand two months ago and she is easily the best student in my class (getting a 97%, 100% and 100%, respectively, on her first three exams). She came up to me the other day and wanted to talk about the topic she had picked for her term paper. I interrupted her and explained to her that the paper was optional (since I thought she might have misunderstood), but she replied, "I know it is optional, but I want to practice my English." I was like: My only hope is that she stays in America to work after graduation. We've got some Vietnamese immigrant friends who are the same way. Came here, didn't speak any English, but busted their asses to learn. Two years later, they're basically fluent, and successful business owners to boot. My old boss at Thrasher magazine was a 1st generation immigrant from Argentina. He didn't speak any english when he got here, and even despited the American kids he went to school with for being spoiled and lazy. But he quickly recognized the rules of the game, mastered them, and went on to fame and fortune. The Iranian family I worked for in high school; same thing. They fled after the shah was overthrown and came here with nothing, and speaking little english. Now they're multi-millionaires. Best friend from law school comes from an Argentinian family where most of the kids were born there. The dad was a doctor in Argentina and literally worked for free in a US hospital as a medical assistant until he mastered english, secured legal status, and a US license to practice medice. All six of his kids went on to become US doctors and lawyers. The key to success in each case is that all those people worked their butts off to become "Americans." They recognized that they didn't have to abandon native cultural identiy to do that, but they did have to integrate themselves into the mainstream. That meant a command of proper English, paying taxes, getting straight with INS/immirgration, etc. I'm pretty sure Detlef has offered this observation on a couple of occassions. Edited June 15, 2007 by yo mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted June 15, 2007 Author Share Posted June 15, 2007 I'm pretty sure Detlef has offered this observation on a couple of occassions. I thought his discussion concerning immigrants was limited to their tastes in music? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Swerski Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Did Arnie have much money when he first moved here? Ican't imaging bodybuilding at that time had a lot of money in it. It wasn't until much later that he got into movies, etc.? I think maybe he just had a drive to succeed (as evidenced by his hard work in the gym, translating to hard work on his, ahem, acting and also his work as governor) whereas a large portion of immigrants nowadays are not so much looking to better their lives compared to looking for a free ride. DING, DING, DING! The key to success in each case is that all those people worked their butts off to become "Americans." They recognized that they didn't have to abandon native cultural identiy to do that, but they did have to integrate themselves into the mainstream. Lots of good info in this thread. My old boss at Thrasher magazine Holy crap, you worked at Thrasher?! That's awesome. I used to skate back in the day (late '80s, early '90s). I've probably read some of your work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isleseeya Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Can't finish my post at this moment so I"LL BE BACK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 (edited) DING, DING, DING! Lots of good info in this thread. Holy crap, you worked at Thrasher?! That's awesome. I used to skate back in the day (late '80s, early '90s). I've probably read some of your work! Yeah, I worked their from 94 - 96. It was a college gig; started out as assistant to the CFO. But I noticed they were hemoraging cash in shipping and handling, and pitched a plan to fix that. They liked the plan so much they put me in charge of S&H, which was sort of a back-handed compliment for a white college boy working along side marginally literate drug addicts in San Francisco's Hunters Point (the violent, predominantly black ghetto near Candlestick/Monster Park). I did write the ocassional video game review, but nothing skating-related. I still hang with some of the guys who work there. Learned a lot while working there... mostly that going to law school was probably a good idea. Edited June 15, 2007 by yo mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Did Arnie have much money when he first moved here? Ican't imaging bodybuilding at that time had a lot of money in it. It wasn't until much later that he got into movies, etc.? I think maybe he just had a drive to succeed (as evidenced by his hard work in the gym, translating to hard work on his, ahem, acting and also his work as governor) whereas a large portion of immigrants nowadays are not so much looking to better their lives compared to looking for a free ride. You're right. I was mistaken in thinking he was already established when he migrated here. In any event, I completely agree with what he said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H8tank Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 My only hope is that she stays in America to work after graduation. The jihadies are slaughtering people in thailand daily, hopefully she stays... and is not m00slim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whomper Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 Spanish television is hawt! I, Whomper , agree with the post that I have have quoted above me. Im not using this post to pad im simply reassuring the huddler who posted the quote above that I am in agreement with the general sentiments of their post © Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtomicCEO Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 Did Arnie have much money when he first moved here? Ican't imaging bodybuilding at that time had a lot of money in it. It wasn't until much later that he got into movies, etc.? I think maybe he just had a drive to succeed (as evidenced by his hard work in the gym, translating to hard work on his, ahem, acting and also his work as governor) whereas a large portion of immigrants nowadays are not so much looking to better their lives compared to looking for a free ride. I thought he hightailed it out of Austria before the end of the war with all the jew gold he could carry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donutrun Jellies Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 Sounds like it went over about as well as Bill Cosby telling gang-bangers to pull up their pants and get a job. Some truths simply will not be tolerated. Concise. Eloquent. On target. Well said, SB! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clubfoothead Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 So effort and speaking English are the key? No wonder I'm broke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 Society needs lettuce pickers, too. It's kind of like in Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World;' a society composed solely of elite members is doomed to fail. So to the extent people elect to hold themselves back, well, I ain't gonna lose any sleep over that. Thank you, Judge Smails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 she replied, "I know it is optional, but I want to practice my English." I was like: My only hope is that she stays in America to work after graduation. She is clearly an elitist who hates the working man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 No, but if you wanted to get a satellite dish to watch programming in English I would understand. Well, as soon as we disallow them any access to Spanish media, then this argument will matter. In the meantime, he's simply telling them that, for their own good, they'd better wean themselves off the Spanish TV and start assimilating. That journalist had some balls to refer to his comments as naive. I'd like him to point out one latino immigrant who's really made it far in the US besides maybe some ball players who didn't develop at least a working level of english. I don't need to relate, yet again, the microcosm of this that happens at my restaurant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 Thank you, Judge Smails. Judge Smailes posts during the season only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 Thank you, Judge Smails. I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Holy Roller Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SayItAintSoJoe Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 No, but if you wanted to get a satellite dish to watch programming in English I would understand. Well, as soon as we disallow them any access to Spanish media, then this argument will matter. In the meantime, he's simply telling them that, for their own good, they'd better wean themselves off the Spanish TV and start assimilating. No argument here. I’m just saying that if tomorrow I moved to, lets say Germany, sure I would learn the language and try to assimilate into their society. However, I would also still watch movies and read publications in English. I think I could do both: learn the German language and culture, and stay in tuned with American culture. To think that someone has to totally cut themselves off from one culture (which is what I believe Arnie is saying) to learn how to function in another one is “naïve”. I give myself more credit then that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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