---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As recent immigrants, they wanted their…"
description: "\"“As recent immigrants, they wanted their children to speak and read English well. Miss”\" — Fannie Flagg"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/fannie-flagg-3065_children_as-recent-immigrants-they-wanted-their-c_2963533.png"
---

#  As recent immigrants, they wanted their children to speak…

![“As recent immigrants, they wanted their children to speak and read English well. Miss” quote by Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/fannie-flagg-3065_children_as-recent-immigrants-they-wanted-their-c_2963533.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/fannie-flagg-3065_children_as-recent-immigrants-they-wanted-their-c_2963533.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/fannie-flagg-3065_children_as-recent-immigrants-they-wanted-their-c_2963533.png)

> ““As recent immigrants, they wanted their children to speak and read English well. Miss””

[Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Immigrants prioritize English proficiency for their children, reflecting assimilation pressures.

**In simple terms:** Immigrants want kids to learn English well.

Key Takeaway

Support language acquisition for integration.

Themes

immigration assimilation education family culture

Mood

empathetic thoughtful

Type

cultural educational

When to use this quote

- school curricula
- parental guidance
- community programs

Key Concepts

linguistic adaptation social mobility

Questions to Reflect On

- How can families balance bilingualism?
- What are benefits of maintaining native language?

A Different Perspective

Emphasis on English may undervalue heritage languages.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Immigrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigrants/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/)

## Related quotes

> [We're going to create factory jobs for recent immigrants, and Donald Trump is going to take care of them. That's why his numbers, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sessions/we-re-going-to-create-factory-jobs-for-recent-immigrants-and-donald/)

[Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sessions/)

> [“many of us, as immigrants—or our parents or our grandparents—had chosen to leave our pasts behind just as the Goldens were now choosing, encouraging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/many-of-us-as-immigrants-or-our-parents-or-our-grandparents-had/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [I think my parents, being immigrants, wanted us to try new things. They would never be the ones to be like, 'Just focus on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iman-vellani/i-think-my-parents-being-immigrants-wanted-us-to-try-new-things-they/)

[Iman Vellani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iman-vellani/)

> [America is a country of comparatively recent immigrants, so I'm part of a line there and the old Americans were thrown off their land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mackenzie/america-is-a-country-of-comparatively-recent-immigrants-so-i-m-part/)

[David Mackenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mackenzie/)

> [I speak Spanish to my children and they speak it better than me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldo-rivera/i-speak-spanish-to-my-children-and-they-speak-it-better-than-me/)

[Geraldo Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldo-rivera/)

> [My children speak very good Chinese, and they translate for our American friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendi-deng-murdoch/my-children-speak-very-good-chinese-and-they-translate-for-our/)

[Wendi Deng Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendi-deng-murdoch/)

> [Why can't the English teach their children how to speak?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-jay-lerner/why-can-t-the-english-teach-their-children-how-to-speak/)

[Alan Jay Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-jay-lerner/)

> [I speak for those children who cannot speak for themselves, children who have absolutely nothing but their courage and their smiles, their wits and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-hepburn/i-speak-for-those-children-who-cannot-speak-for-themselves-children/)

[Audrey Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-hepburn/)

> [There even are places where English completely disappears. In America, they haven't used it for years! Why can't the English teach their children how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-jay-lerner/there-even-are-places-where-english-completely-disappears-in-america/)

[Alan Jay Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-jay-lerner/)

> [The English have no respect for their language, and will not teach their children to speak it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-english-have-no-respect-for-their-language-and-will-not-teach-2/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [“...they speak like melted butter and their children speak like footsteps on pavement...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-wilkerson/they-speak-like-melted-butter-and-their-children-speak-like-footsteps/)

[Isabel Wilkerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-wilkerson/)

> [Baptize first the children; and if they can speak for themselves, let them do so. Otherwise, let their parents or other relatives speak for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippolytus-of-rome/baptize-first-the-children-and-if-they-can-speak-for-themselves-let/)

Hippolytus of Rome

> [“Some of those who had been among the most industrious, the kindest, and the most stalwart citizens of Village now went to the platform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/some-of-those-who-had-been-among-the-most-industrious-the-kindest-and/)

[Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/)

> [Ordinary adults don't like children to speak of things that are denied them by their own gray minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/ordinary-adults-don-t-like-children-to-speak-of-things-that-are/)

[Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/)

> [Children should speak out and take action to support each other to end bullying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/choi-si-won/children-should-speak-out-and-take-action-to-support-each-other-to/)

[Choi Si-won](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/choi-si-won/)

## More by Fannie Flagg

> [“Oh it don't make no kind of sense. Big ol' ox like Grady won't sit next to a colored child. But he eats eggs-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/oh-it-don-t-make-no-kind-of-sense-big-ol-ox-like-grady-won-t-sit-next/)

[Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/)

> [“Lately, it had been an endless procession of long, black nights and gray mornings, when her sense of failure swept over her like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/lately-it-had-been-an-endless-procession-of-long-black-nights-and/)

[Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/)

> [“The little girl knew if she bit any member of her family, they would get rabies too, and she died without ever having been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/the-little-girl-knew-if-she-bit-any-member-of-her-family-they-would/)

[Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/)

> [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. Cleo had this big magnifying glass on his desk, and we'd find centipedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/albert-and-i-would-spend-hours-and-hours-looking-at-them-cleo-had/)

[Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/)

> [There Lives More Faith in Honest Doubt, Believe Me, Than Half the Creeds. - Alfred, Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/there-lives-more-faith-in-honest-doubt-believe-me-than-half-the/)

[Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/)

> [“Harris had done exactly what he had been told to do by the sexy dame from Oklahoma. After he had removed all of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/harris-had-done-exactly-what-he-had-been-told-to-do-by-the-sexy-dame/)

[Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/)

> [“he surprised her by signing, “You are the most beautiful girl in the world.” Ander didn’t know it, but he had signed, “You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/he-surprised-her-by-signing-you-are-the-most-beautiful-girl-in-the/)

[Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/)

> [“Because, honey," she said, "after you've been to the moon, where else is there to go?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/because-honey-she-said-after-you-ve-been-to-the-moon-where-else-is/)

[Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/)

> [“Hello... is this Mrs. Fritzi Bevins?' 'Yes, it is.' 'From Pulaski, Wisconsin?' 'Yes.' 'Uh... you don't know me, but I recently received some papers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/hello-is-this-mrs-fritzi-bevins-yes-it-is-from-pulaski-wisconsin-yes/)

[Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/)

> [“Lenore had pushed her into had been a complete disaster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/lenore-had-pushed-her-into-had-been-a-complete-disaster/)

[Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/)

> [Face it girls. I'm older and I have more insurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/face-it-girls-i-m-older-and-i-have-more-insurance/)

[Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/)

> [“I hate a book that jumps around. Also I can promise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/i-hate-a-book-that-jumps-around-also-i-can-promise/)

[Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/)

> [“Remember, if people talk behind your back, it only that you are two steps ahead of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/remember-if-people-talk-behind-your-back-it-only-that-you-are-two/)

[Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/)

> [“Depression years come back to me now as the happy times, even though we were all struggling. We were happy and didn't know it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/depression-years-come-back-to-me-now-as-the-happy-times-even-though/)

[Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/)

> [One gal drank a can of floor wax and topped it off with a cup of Clorox, trying to separate herself from the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/one-gal-drank-a-can-of-floor-wax-and-topped-it-off-with-a-cup-of/)

[Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/)

[Explore all 137 Fannie Flagg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/)

## More Children quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

[Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/)

[Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/)

[Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

[Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“As recent immigrants, they wanted their children to speak and read English well. Miss”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Fannie Flagg"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/as-recent-immigrants-they-wanted-their-children-to-speak-and-read/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/as-recent-immigrants-they-wanted-their-children-to-speak-and-read/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/fannie-flagg-3065_children_as-recent-immigrants-they-wanted-their-c_2963533.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/fannie-flagg-3065_children_as-recent-immigrants-they-wanted-their-c_2963533.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/fannie-flagg-3065_children_as-recent-immigrants-they-wanted-their-c_2963533.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“As recent immigrants, they wanted their children to speak and read English well. Miss” — Fannie Flagg",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Fannie Flagg",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“As recent immigrants, they wanted their...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/as-recent-immigrants-they-wanted-their-children-to-speak-and-read/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/as-recent-immigrants-they-wanted-their-children-to-speak-and-read/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
