I’ve been reading some posts on the Washington Post pages about Obama’s recent speech on the importance of learning a second language and urging less anxiety about immigrant children learning English. Many of them echoed local comments about Mexicans refusing to learn English. I wonder where that comes from if not from fear? Our valley is pretty well populated with immigrants, mostly from Mexico, and I have run into very few who are not doing their best to pick up enough English to get by. More important. There are few immigrant children who are not learning English and quickly at that. Admittedly that’s all anecdotal, but where is the evidence that “they refuse to learn English.” We’ve been through this before with the Italians, Germans, Poles, Japanese and all other non-English speaking immigrant groups. Eventually it passes but not without causing a lot of unnecessary hurt and humiliation. As for me, English is the only language I need. I’d write more about that but a padre friend just called saying he’s RSVP’d to an invitation to a fiesta out at the ranch. Everyone is supposed to wear a sombrero and be ready to play a pinata game. Should be fun, so sayonara for now and mahalo for reading today.