OFF TOPIC Spanish in the USA [was Re: Explanation of this Python language feature?]

[Mark H Harris]

On 3/30/14 1:31 AM, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
>> I'm not sure what point you are trying to make. We have people here from
>> all over the earth, and enough illegal immigrants speaking Spanish to
>> account for a population about the size of Ohio.
>
> *raises eyebrow*
>
> Did you intend to imply that it is only illegal immigrants who speak
> Spanish in the USA?

    Don't be silly, Steven, it doesn't become you.

> The most recent US census found there are 38.5 million people in the US
> who primarily speak Spanish, and 45 million who speak it as their first
> or second language. In comparison, there are only an estimated 11 million
> illegal immigrants (of which only 7 million is from Mexico).
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_language_in_the_United_States

    Hilarious!   That's part of the problem, um, its because they are 
*illegal* that the census bureau does not know about them in terms of 
exact numbers; its a nice effort though.

    America is a melting pot (always has been). We have thousands of 
ethnic groups living here and thousands of languages spoken here. All of 
them are in some place on the continuum of English as a second language; 
its the only way to survive here.


marcus