Assimilation: Press Two For Spanish

America was once the world's melting pot.  Immigrants from all over the world flooded into the country in pursuit of freedom and opportunity. They were grateful for America's open arms and respectful of their new country's traditions.

During the Industrial Revolution, waves of Italians, Irish, Germans, Poles and Czechs pored into the U.S.  They mastered English and eagerly adopted American customs.  They were proud of their heritage, but they identified as Americans without any hyphenation. There were no Polish-Americans.

Today's immigrants feel less of a connection with their new homeland, particularly those of Hispanic origin.  There are 55 million Hispanics living in the United States, comprising 17.3 percent of the population. They are the nation's largest and fastest growing immigrant segment.

Those statistics were compiled by the non-partisan Pew Research Center, which analyzed data collected in the latest U.S. Census.  The term Hispanic, as defined in the census, includes people who self-identify as Cubans, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans and other Spanish cultures.

In its analysis, Pew researchers revealed that 52 percent of Hispanic immigrants identify with their country of origin rather than with the United States.  About 65 percent of those Hispanics are of Mexican ancestry, according to the data.

In its report, Pew discovered that only 21 percent of all Hispanics choose the term "American" to describe themselves.  Among first generation Hispanics, only eight percent consider themselves Americans. And 48 percent of third-generation Hispanics are likely to claim the label of American.

Why haven't Hispanics followed the example of millions of past immigrants?

Language may help explain the dichotomy.  According to 2013 U.S. Census data reviewed by Pew Research, there are at least 12.5 million Hispanics living in the United States who are "not proficient" in English. A subset of this group, 3.2 million Hispanics, speak no English.

One caveat should be noted about the Pew analysis of Census data. Hispanics self-reported their language proficiency.  There was no test administered to validate their answers. That has led to speculation that the data actually may understate the English proficiency of Hispanics.

As evidence that may be the case, consider the number of companies and government agencies that offer Spanish language options for customers and clients.  Almost every voice activated call system in use has a "Press Two For Spanish" option for those who want to conduct business in that language.

In addition, many businesses and government organizations offer printed materials in Spanish and employ bilingual customer representatives.The number of companies advertising in Spanish has quadrupled over the last 20 years.

Despite the research, it is patently unfair to stereotype Hispanics.  Many Hispanics, including both Mexicans and Cubans, have bear hugged American culture, served with distinction in the military and made notable contributions in business, the arts, science, politics and other fields.

They are as American as any native.  However, there still is a wide swath of Hispanics who do not share their enthusiasm for their adopted country.      

There are some progressives who believe it is America that needs to adapt to the influx of new immigrants.  They argue the old-model of assimilation is outdated in a multi-cultural world. America should be a salad bowl, a mixture of different cultures that live together but have nothing in common.

However, many who subscribe to this theory refuse to acknowledge that a common language is one of the ties that bind a people and a nation. Ending that tradition to accommodate each culture will make assimilation more difficult and produce a more divided nation.