Marge, Your father gave a great lesson for us all! I think you...

Marge,

Your father gave a great lesson for us all!

I think you are wrong about immigrants from Latin America not learing English.

Most do. It is harder for the first generation.

As with every previous immigrant generation, some learn English better than others.

That is true of all countries.

Immigrants to Argentina learned Spanish variably, as immigrants to Brazil learned Portugese variably.

A very inteligent Mexican lady has told me how hard a time she is having learning English.

Her husband is better, though not fluent.

We normally talk in Spanish.

Their daughter speaks both languages fluently.

I have many times been the translator for Hispanic surnamed meztizo Americans in Peru and Argentina who don't speak Spanish despite their Latin American descent- which causes these stunned expressions on Peruvian and Argentine faces! (I am very clearly a gringo!) It is also normal.

The right-wingers who complain about people not learing English don't know what they are talking about.

Keep encouraging your monolingual daughter! When I was in Haiti I sometimes could use one of our great Haitian assistants who normally did not translate since he did not speak English, but is fluent in Spanish.

It meant I could serve people instead of standing around doing nothing.

Also I could take instructions from a couple of Argentine physicians who joined our team.
And tell our Dominican cook how much I appreciated him taking care of us.