Growing English fluency among immigrants a good sign, argues Times editorial

‘Those gains suggest the enthusiasm of these new arrivals for their adopted country and argue for their absorption, not their demonization. Granted, these percentages lump legal and illegal immigrants together, and evidence suggests that those here illegally are less likely to master the language. Border control and a sputtering U.S. economy have done much to deter illegal immigration over the last several years, and may be contributing marginally to the increased fluency of the immigrant population that remains. ‘But that’s an argument for legalizing families, not for imagining them as a threat to our cohesion. American culture grows and adapts as new immigrants redefine it over the generations, and the same can be said of the English language. We should embrace that evolution, not hold it at bay with false and alarmist arguments about the threat to American values.’