Constitution is silent on language and assimilation

Constitution silent on how we communicate

A recent letter said that new immigrants have a “duty” to learn American culture and language [“Newcomers should assimilate,” March 19]. Could this writer please say where that is written in the Constitution?

My 88-year-old mother-in-law doesn’t speak a word of English. When she was in the workforce, that didn’t prevent her from performing her job as a dental equipment assembler at an extremely high level, or from paying her taxes.

The letter writer and others who think this way need to remember that we live in a free, democratic republic. As long as we obey the laws of this land, what language we speak and what we do is nobody’s business but our own.

James A. Clark, Syosset