CSU: Immigrants should speak German at home, CDU says LOLwhat ?

[afleitch]

There is a difference between speaking a native language at home and not being able to speak any other. For many women in particular, their perceived domestic role negates the need not only to speak the countries language at home but to learn it at all. A former work colleague of mine is third generation Asian. His mother is second generation. She cannot speak English. When his baby daughter stopped breathing at home, she could not communicate with the ambulance so had to phone him to call it. He had to make use, very quickly of our office multi-phone to conduct a two way conversation with the emergency crew. In retrospect, he acknowledged that his mother was never encouraged to learn English. Indeed, whenever his father and older brother wished to speak about issues they didn’t want his mum to know about, or even about her, they spoke in English at home which they would do frequently. It was at times, emotionally abusive. His older brother’s wife is from Pakistan and can’t speak English because ‘she doesn’t need to’. Her brother is over here to study it.

It’s all very well to assume that everyone has command of their native and adopted tongue but many do not. Knowing the local language is a very powerful thing and in patriarchal and abusive structures can be used as a wedge to distance women.