Personally, I think it's pretty shameful that most Americans can only speak one language (and many can't even manage that one language very well). I think it's even more shameful that around 20-25% of us actually have passports, meaning many of us haven't had to experience life beyond our borders. And requiring a couple of years of a foreign language in high school is hardly doing the trick.
Yes, of course, people coming to the U.S. have it in their best interests to learn English. But that's easier said than done. The difficulties can be overwhelming, especially when you consider than many immigrants work gruelling jobs with long hours and have large families to support. This makes for little time for extracurricular activities. We must also take into account the level of education people have when coming here. My grandfather has a third grade education and is not fluent in English despite living in the States for 25 years. But then, he was pretty busy picking tomatoes and cherries for Americans and supporting his eight kids, making his opportunities for learning English pretty damn slim.
Oh, and Cincy's Mom, a three year old speaking only Spanish in Ohio who has two English speaking parents is NOT a problem. That kid is going to pick up English no matter what. I mainly spoke Spanish until I was five, and I started and completed kindergarten with no problems. The language abilities of children are truly amazing.
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