My great-great-grandmother, shown in the picture, was pure Cherokee Indian. And I’m proud of that. I’m unsure if she learned to speak English, but I wouldn’t care if she didn’t as it wasn’t her native tongue. The keyword to remember here is native; being a member of the original inhabitants of a particular place.
However, with the exception of Native Americans, generally, all Americans have ancestors who immigrated here over the past five centuries, and they too should be proud of their heritage. Many brave people came to this country to make a better life for themselves and their families and endured great hardships. I’m not sure how many of them learned to speak English, but like my great-great-grandma, I wouldn’t care if any of them did. According to a recent article in Science Daily, not even Native Americans had origins in this country.
Now all of this doesn’t mean I think it’s unimportant to speak the English language; actually, in some situations, I would think it quite necessary. But I believe if more people were to embrace the fact that all our ancestors came from different places, it could help end some of the prejudiced thinking that goes on in our country, and go a long way in making America beautiful again.