Analysis Of Hispanic Pride Vs. American Assimilation By Stephanie Cox

The author of “Hispanic Pride vs. American Assimilation,” Stephanie Cox, presents and explains Hispanic immigrants’ hesitancy to learn English very effectively. She begins by telling a personal story about meeting a Hispanic woman who wanted her son to learn English but refused to learn it herself. Cox was confused as to why the mother would refuse to learn English, so she did some research and found three possible causes of this situation: a pride in Hispanic peoples’ native countries--most specifically, Mexican-Americans, a close proximity to their native country, and the lack of support from other Hispanic Americans to assimilate to American culture and ideals. Cox’s explanation of the Hispanic reasonings aids in further understanding their situations.

Her story reflects this; “(w)hile she felt strongly about the importance of English for her son, she herself was proud of her Mexican heritage and had no desire to become an English speaker.” Cox tells another story to support her second and third ideas. She explains: “It was not uncommon for Hispanics to travel between their native and adopted countries on a regular basis. These frequent visits help reinforce the customs, values, and language of Latin America.” She also writes about how Chicanos, American-born Mexicans, “often humiliate new immigrants attempting to learn English.” These causes Cox proposed were very plausible. People can relate to Hispanic Americans being so prideful of their native country that they do not want to lose touch with their native culture. Also living close enough to travel easily and often back to their native country could undoubtedly cause Hispanics to not want to learn English, and the idea of being ridiculed for learning English would make many people not want to learn