Hola or Hello? Debate Over Spanish Integration In America

Oct. 8, 2007 — -- Mexico and the United States have been intertwined for centuries, but now that so many Mexican and Hispanic immigrants have spread out across the states, the two cultures have been mixing more than ever before.

And while the majority of Americans still speak English, the Spanish language has become more prominent, intermingling with the English language and culture.

Today some states have streets signs and employment applications in Spanish. More schools are teaching the language in classrooms.

Even when you dial an 800 number in the United States, the first option likely tells you to press for Spanish.

Some Americans are less than enthused about the prospect of Spanish becoming part of the mainstream.

"Yes, they work hard to put roofs above their heads and food on their tables and for this we respect them. But they have little interest in learning English themselves, and instead demand that we make it possible for them to function here in Spanish," said conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh.

But, it is not only the political arena steaming with tension over the subject. One owner of a Philadelphia cheesesteak restaurant posted an "English only" sign and became a national hero to some.

When Geno's Steaks' owner Joseph Vento posted two small signs that read, "This is America: When ordering please speak English," he garnered national attention.

Already, California, Arizona and Massachusetts have passed laws mandating English only in their schools. But two other states Texas and New Jersey took a different step. Both offer a bilingual education for first-, second- and third-graders.

Even Mexican President Felipe Calderon has weighed in on the national debate. He said Americans should rest assured English will not disappear from the landscape.

"You need to realize that the English will be the language of the world in the future," he told "Good Morning America's" Diane Sawyer in an interview. "Everybody needs to learn English, even to survive."