--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe we are being dishonest with…" description: "\"I believe we are being dishonest with language minority groups if we tell them they can take full part in American life without learning the English la..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86e/s-i-hayakawa-15018_american-life_i-believe-we-are-being-dishonest-with-la_873996.jpg" --- # I believe we are being dishonest with language minority… ![“I believe we are being dishonest with language minority groups if we tell them they can take full part in American life without learning the English language.” quote by S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86e/s-i-hayakawa-15018_american-life_i-believe-we-are-being-dishonest-with-la_873996.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86e/s-i-hayakawa-15018_american-life_i-believe-we-are-being-dishonest-with-la_873996.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86e/s-i-hayakawa-15018_american-life_i-believe-we-are-being-dishonest-with-la_873996.jpg) > “I believe we are being dishonest with language minority groups if we tell them they can take full part in American life without learning the English language.” [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates that full participation in society requires language proficiency, not just promises of inclusion. **In simple terms:** Participation needs language skills. Key Takeaway Learn English to fully engage. Themes language policy integration education Mood reflective critical Type social commentary policy critique When to use this quote - job applications - civic participation - community meetings - education programs Key Concepts bilingualism social cohesion immigrant rights Questions to Reflect On - How can societies balance language expectations with cultural respect? - What support helps newcomers learn language without feeling marginalized? A Different Perspective Excludes non‑English speakers who contribute culturally. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-life/) [English language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english-language/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Minorities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minorities/) [Minority groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minority-groups/) ## Related quotes > [“Your language is a minority government where backbenchers rise suddenly, threaten to cross the floor, and what comes from your mouth is a difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-dickinson/your-language-is-a-minority-government-where-backbenchers-rise/) Adam Dickinson > [I think that, you know, this is a different year than most years. 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Not only that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/we-have-to-tell-the-american-public-that-they-re-missing-the-boat/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [Of course, as a German, I wouldn't like to tell the American people how to handle their criminal justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-herzog/of-course-as-a-german-i-wouldn-t-like-to-tell-the-american-people-how/) [Werner Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-herzog/) > [I tell the American people solemnly that the United States will never survive as a happy and fertile oasis of liberty surrounded by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/i-tell-the-american-people-solemnly-that-the-united-states-will-never/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Donald Trump's always going to tell the American people where he stands. And, make no mistake about it. There's... there's been no change in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/donald-trump-s-always-going-to-tell-the-american-people-where-he/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [My grandmother would always tell me that I was hers, that I was Mexican. That was her role. It was not my teacher's role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/my-grandmother-would-always-tell-me-that-i-was-hers-that-i-was/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [People will urge you to go to school. They’ll tell you an American education is useful. That is not true. That is 80’s. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-c-osondu/people-will-urge-you-to-go-to-school-they-ll-tell-you-an-american/) E. C. Osondu > [I'm not going to tell the American president how to run America, but I think it is important that when friends are speaking to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-varadkar/i-m-not-going-to-tell-the-american-president-how-to-run-america-but-i/) [Leo Varadkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-varadkar/) > [I'm going to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-m-going-to-tell-the-american-people-what-i-believe-will-make-this/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We focused so much on saying, "Don't vote for them and here's why" and we didn't tell the American people "Vote for us and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-tantaros/we-focused-so-much-on-saying-don-t-vote-for-them-and-here-s-why-and/) [Andrea Tantaros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-tantaros/) > [I would like to tell our American, British and Spanish friends that the Iraqi crisis is not a problem between the United States and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-de-villepin/i-would-like-to-tell-our-american-british-and-spanish-friends-that/) [Dominique de Villepin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-de-villepin/) > [I paint American people, and I tell American stories through the paintings I create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sherald/i-paint-american-people-and-i-tell-american-stories-through-the/) [Amy Sherald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sherald/) > [Major danger lie for America? That we could very well be defeated oversees and at home. And the source of it is clearly that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/major-danger-lie-for-america-that-we-could-very-well-be-defeated/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) ## More by S. I. Hayakawa > [The language we share is at the core of our identity as citizens, and our ticket to full participation in American political life. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/the-language-we-share-is-at-the-core-of-our-identity-as-citizens-and/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [It is the individual who knows how little they know about themselves who stands the most reasonable chance of finding out something about themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/it-is-the-individual-who-knows-how-little-they-know-about-themselves/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [So I will say it with relish. Give me a hamburger but hold the lawsuit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/so-i-will-say-it-with-relish-give-me-a-hamburger-but-hold-the-lawsuit/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [How anybody dresses is indicative of his self-concept. If students are dirty and ragged, it indicates they are not interested in tidying up their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/how-anybody-dresses-is-indicative-of-his-self-concept-if-students-are/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [Language is a unifying instrument which binds people together. When people speak one language they become as one, they become a society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/language-is-a-unifying-instrument-which-binds-people-together-when/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [The English Language Amendment says above all, 'Let's see to it that our children, our young people, learn English. Let us not deny them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/the-english-language-amendment-says-above-all-let-s-see-to-it-that/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [We live in a highly competitive society, each of us trying to outdo the other in wealth, in popularity or social prestige, in dress,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/we-live-in-a-highly-competitive-society-each-of-us-trying-to-outdo/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [People who think of themselves as tough-minded and realistic, among them influential political leaders and businessmen as well as go-getters and hustlers of smaller…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/people-who-think-of-themselves-as-tough-minded-and-realistic-among/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [If everybody is rewarded just for being alive, you get the same sort of effect as you do when you reward every student just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/if-everybody-is-rewarded-just-for-being-alive-you-get-the-same-sort/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [The meanings of words are not in the words, they are in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/the-meanings-of-words-are-not-in-the-words-they-are-in-us/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [In the case of drama (stage, movies, television ), there appear to be people in almost every audience who never quite fully realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/in-the-case-of-drama-stage-movies-television-there-appear-to-be/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [Good teachers never say anything. What they do is create the conditions under which learning takes place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/good-teachers-never-say-anything-what-they-do-is-create-the/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [Agreement is brought about by changing people's minds - other people's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/agreement-is-brought-about-by-changing-people-s-minds-other-people-s/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [Republicans are people who, if you were drowning 50 feet from shore, would throw you a 25-foot rope and tell you to swim the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/republicans-are-people-who-if-you-were-drowning-50-feet-from-shore/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [In a very real sense, people who have read good literature have lived more than people who cannot or will not read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/in-a-very-real-sense-people-who-have-read-good-literature-have-lived/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) [Explore all 44 S. I. Hayakawa quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) ## More American life quotes > [“As we look over the list of the early leaders of the republic, Washington, John Adams, Hamilton, and others, we discern that they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-truslow-adams/as-we-look-over-the-list-of-the-early-leaders-of-the-republic/) [James Truslow Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-truslow-adams/) > [Our families and our homes are the center of American life, Everything we do is to make those homes-and the lives in them-more beautiful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stewart/our-families-and-our-homes-are-the-center-of-american-life-everything/) [Martha Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stewart/) > [As Americans, we want peace - we work and sacrifice for peace. 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It is violence punctuated by committee meetings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/football-combines-two-of-the-worst-things-in-american-life-it-is/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [I produced a play in New York that got nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best American Play.The play is called Stalking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-richman/i-produced-a-play-in-new-york-that-got-nominated-for-an-outer-critics/) [Adam Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-richman/) > [The final test of Afro-American studies will be the extent to which they rid the minds of whites and blacks alike of false learning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-saunders-redding/the-final-test-of-afro-american-studies-will-be-the-extent-to-which/) [Jay Saunders Redding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-saunders-redding/) > [In the decade of the 1980s, a massive and comprehensive study of religion in American life was undertaken by the Gallup organization. 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