Minneapolis Resident's Accent Gets Him Arrested, Detained by Border Patrol

[ShazzieB]

3. All of a sudden, speaking English with an accent is a crime.

And not speaking English at all must be a really heinous crime, which makes me think of my husband's grandparents. Both sets immigrated to the U.S. from Poland early in the 20th century and settled in a Polish neighborhood in Chicago. They all spent the rest of their lives in Chicago, and all of their kids, grandkids, and great grandkids have been born here in the U.S.

My husband's grandfather supported his family by working as a carpenter (a trade he also taught to my fil), while his wife stayed home with the kids. Mary (the grandma's name) lived to be 100 years old, and according to my husband, she never learned to speak English in all that time. Living where they did, I guess she didn't have to. They lived in a neighborhood where virtually everyone was Polish, and most, if not all, of the businesses were run by Polish people as well. There were all kinds of resources available to them that didn't require speaking English, including Polish newspapers and radio stations (some of each still exist in Chicago), and Catholic Churches with Polish priests.

I'm pretty sure Mary never became a U.S. citizen, but she and her husband came here in accordance with the immigration laws at the time and lived here legally. And yet she did not speak English. I can't help but think of her when I hear about ICE treating non English speakers and even people who speak the language with an accent like criminals. I'm glad she never had to witness or experience anything like that.