Belias, 1

Rich Belias
Dr. Grabriela Rios
ENC1102
June 11, 2014
The Cchallenge for Iimmigrants in the U.S.:
How Pplaces Iinfluences Llanguage and Bbehavior in the United States.
Language is a powerful way we, humans , use to communicate with each other.
To say that immigrants in the United States struggles a lot just to learn the language of
this country, which is English, would be an understatement. Now-a-days, immigrants
need to learn the American English language to do anything legal in this country because
it influences their language and behavior in many ways in different places. UBy using the
following six sources I will make it clear in explaining and answering the primary
research question which is how places influence language and behavior of immigrants in
the United states ( specifically, Haitian immigrants). These sources work together to
provide information that prove that many different places influence immigrants language
and behavior in the U.S. The first set of sources (Ceptus and Julal) explains how
language affect us, Haitian immigrants, in school and at work in the U.S. the second set
of sources (Burford, Stimson) tells us more about how places influence his familys
language by coming here in the U.S from Jamaica to speak good English, and how
business influence immigrants language. The last set of sources (Sandra and Buteau) the
need to learn new language to move on to the next step in your life.
Formatted: Font: Bold
Comment [GR1]: Can you explain more
here? How is this a reason or rationale for
needing to learn English for legal purposes?
Comment [GR2]: OK, you will make what
clear?
Comment [GR3]: Same herehow is this a
reason or rationale places influence family
language?
Comment [GR4]: What do you mean by
next step" here?
Belias, 2

Burford, Lorrimer. Telling stories to preserve the culture. Ethnic NewsWatch 17.3 (2006): 17.
ProQuest. Web. 10 June 2014.
Author Lorrimer Burford, starts the article by telling us it does not matter how easy
things get for an average immigrants from the Caribbean there times when they will
always think back about home. The authors wife is upset with him because he wants to
speak the Jamaican language which known ais patois.. She always wanted him her kids
to speak good English and thats one of the reason why they came in the U.S. the author
stated that "It seemed like us Jamaicans carried our customs and lifestyle with us
wherever we went."
I agree with the author because I have seen that with Jamaican who lives in Fort
Lauderdale. I also want to say that it is not only with Jamaican, it is also with Hispanic,
Haitian, etc. For example when I go down to Miami to see some of my relatives, it feel
like I am in Haiti because all the shops and restaurants have Haitians name and all the
customers are mostly Haitians. It is the same thing for Hispanics also. Most of that is
because of the language that they speak, especially Haitian. It is important for us to see
how language can bring everyone together.
Buteau (Brother Tob), Frre. Exclusive interview with Professor Margarita Mooney. Ethnic
NewsWatch 41.24 (2010): 4-8. ProQuest. Web. 11 June 2014.
TAs the author of this article, Frre Buteau, provides a very good interview with an
assistant professor in the department of sociology at the University of North Carolina in
Chapel Hill and a Faculty fellow of its Carolina Population Center about Haitian
immigrant. Professor Margarita studies the Haitians population including the Haitians
Formatted: Line spacing: Double
Comment [GR5]: Rem to double space.
Comment [GR6]: Good, now just be sure to
highlight language here
Comment [GR7]: How is this quote
speaking to what you said earlier? What is the
overall main point that the author wants to
make about language?
Comment [GR8]: Most of what,
specifically? Can you say more here?
Formatted: Line spacing: Double
Belias, 3

immigrants in Miami. She even wrote a book about Haiti. I pick this article because it
caught my attention and answer my topic question when the author ask Professor
Margarita How much time did you need to master that new language and speak it as
beautifully as you do?(par. 8). She answered I believe language is a key to culture, so
for me to understand Haitian culture, I needed to learn Creole. I began studying French in
1999, first at Princeton and then in France. In 2001, I started learning Creole at the
Haitian Summer Institute at Florida International University. Then I continued to tutor
myself using textbooks and CDs. I traveled to Haiti in 2001 and 2002, which allowed me
to practice the language. (par. 9)
I like her answer because that was my thought when I first got in the United States. My
main gold goal was to learn the language first and everything else will be easy for me to
understand because without knowing the language you will never be able to do anything.
Like professor Margarita said language is the key to a culture. (par. 9). As an
immigrant like myself, places will always influence your language and behavior. I think
prof. Margarita made an important point when she said she went to Haiti and people were
happy to talk to her because they were able to communicate with her in Creole. The fact
that she learned the language, she can go on to the next step and interview people for her
book.
Ceptus, Barbara. Growing up Haitian, growing up black. Ethnic NewsWatch 8.3 (2005): 31.
ProQuest. Web. 10 June 2014.
Barbara Ceptus tells us how she made a decision to get a Ph. D. in cultural studies so she
could teach and write about the African diaspora and race relationship in the U.S. based
on her childhood experience about African American and Haitians. The article said they
Comment [GR9]: OK, but can you say more
about the argument she is making about
language and how you are also then making
an argument about language and placeit
isnt always clear what the main point is
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Belias, 4

identify the immigrant Haitians as Haitian, not as black. (par. 4) Barbara was raised in a
Haitian household, which made her Haitian instead of black and her family believed in
being Haitian also.in her familys eyes. They dont want to be called black. Barbara had a
different experience as she was growing up. She came to understand that pride in the
context of being both Haitian and black. To her family she was black but at other places,
such as school, she was black. To answer my topic question with this article is that she
left Boston where her family lived to go to California to school. There she only spoke
English for a very long time and that affect her ability to speak creole which is the main
language she communicate with her family. After a long time she went back to Boston to
see her family but she could not communicate with her grandmother who she cares about
because Barbara could not speak creole and her grandmother knew very little English.
She said I pulled together bits and pieces of my native tongue to come up with an
explanation to tell my grandmother about my degree. The school she went to influenced
her language and behavior which made her only speak English and not being able to
speak creole, and the U.S influenced her grandmothers language because she cant
communicate in English.
I like this article because it
relates to my life. My grandmother came in the U.S back in the 1980s and she is the same way.
She wasnt lucky enough to go to school as a child and when she came in the U.S she could not
do anything because she was an illegal immigrant and she could not read. Until today she speaks
and understand very little English. The U.S influences her language and behavior because she
cannot do anything in the U.S without someones help. Her language and behaviors are limited
in the U.S. She moved back to Haiti where her behavior and her language is not limited recently.
Comment [GR10]: OK, why is this quote
important here for telling us about her point?
Comment [GR11]: What pride? You havent
mentioned pride yet.?
Formatted: Indent: First line: 0.5"
Comment [GR12]: OK, but lets try to move
away from why you like to why its useful for
answering your research questionI think
your story about your grandma explains a LOT,
so maybe you can focus on the grandma in
your summary, too. It seems you are noticing
that language can prevent folks from even
being able to relate to their family in
intergenerational immigrant homesdoes
that sound right?
Formatted: Indent: Left: 0"
Belias, 5

Gardner, Sandra. The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education. Ethnic NewsWatch 14.20 (2004):
14. ProQuest. Web. 11 June 2014.
Sandra Gardner, who is the author, started the article by telling us that English facility is
critical in order for Hispanics to become part of the middle class and achieve the
American dream. The author tries to make us understands how it benefits immigrants
when they can speak their native language and English well. The older you come in the
U.S the harder it is for you to speak English and get an education. The author says that
Hispanic immigrants threaten to divide the U.S into two cultures, and two language.
Sandra stated these folks dont want to learn English. The author thinks if you are
bilingual you will seize better opportunities.
I agree with the author and she informs us about Hispanics immigrants. To answer my
research question with this article, the author wants us to know how important it is to
learn English in the U.S. When immigrants cant speak English in the U.S everywhere
they go their language will be influence by that place they are at. On that matter, the
author quoted in this country, a lot of importance is given to the way you look and
sound. (par.15). in other words, wherever an immigrant goes in this country, it will
influence you by the way you speak English. Overall the author makes an important point
when she explains the importance of language in this country and how places will
influence immigrants language, specifically Hispanic immigrants.
Julal, Beverly, and DavisClair , clairDavis. Immigrants get more than just a welcome. Ethnic
NewsWatch 7.19 (2008): 6c. ProQuest. Web. 10 June 2014.
This article by Julal Berverly informs us about a program that they have to help
immigrants in the U.S. this program is called welcoming centers which is located in
Formatted: Line spacing: Double
Comment [GR13]: OK, but who is she? Why
should we care what she says?
Comment [GR14]: This kind of contradicts
the above phrasecan you maybe say more
about what she really aims to do here? Is she
challenging English only or is she reinforcing
it?
Comment [GR15]: OK, this is good, so this is
her so what factor.
Comment [GR16]: Remember that when
there is more than one author, only the first
author is listed last name, first name
Belias, 6

Pennsylvania. The purpose of this program is to help new immigrants understand the
American system and find jobs that are related to the immigrants skill levels. Mostly
they help immigrants from the Caribbean. Even English is the first language for many
nations in the Caribbean but everything here in America is different, even the language.
The author said for speaking with a foreign accent we were alienated from the other
students. (par. 9) She continued lots of people made fun of our differences. (par. 9)
I agree with this article because I experienced this situation when I first moved to
America at school. I remember when my classmates were laughing at me in my health
class because I said something that my teacher had no idea about. I had to tell one of my
Haitian classmate to translate for me. All this was the influence of language by places
because I could do and say anything I wanted to in my ESOL class. Nobody would laugh
at me because all of us are in there to learn English. It would be very good to have one of
the welcoming centers all over the U.S especially Fort Lauderdale and Miami where there
is a lot of immigrants.
Stimson, Brian. Workplace challenges persist for African immigrants. Ethnic NewsWatch
15.33 (2008): 14-33. ProQuest. Web. 11 June 2014.
Brian Stimsons article is about how workplace challenges African immigrants. Most of
the time, they thought only Hispanic immigrants experience the challenges when
adapting to a foreign culture. The author said many of the problems facing Africans are
similar to those facing Hispanics. For example, language barriers, different work
customs, lack of formal education and a system that doesn't recognize much of the skilled
training obtained in African countries. (par. 4). In sum the author is trying to say that
African immigrants struggle to adapt to a new culture just like Hispanic immigrants.
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I agree with the author, specifically when he says African immigrants struggle to learn
new language. I was in school with a lot of Hispanic student when I first move in the
United States. We were struggling to speak English exactly the same way. Everyone had
to use a dictionary to translate English sentences in our native languages. What I am
trying to say is that the U.S. influence the language of all kind of immigrant, who do not
speak English in their country, the exact same way. Every immigrants will be challenge
either at school, work, church, mall to learn the new language. Overall the author is right
when he said African immigrants and refugees are a diverse group of people who
struggle to learn new languages, new customs and new ways of earning a living. (par. 4)