This isn’t necessarily a measure of xenophobia people of both parties tend to be accepting of those who speak English with an accent. Though Republicans are more likely to strongly endorse this view, even majorities of first-generation immigrants and liberal Democrats believe that English fluency is necessary for integration into American society. A majority of Americans believe that a person must speak English to be considered American. Rightly or wrongly, immigrants’ English skills influence Americans’ views of immigration. overwhelmingly require some level of English.” (Ultimately, my mom learned English at her job at McDonald’s. “Every little bit of English you learn will actually get you a better job,” Amanda Bergson-Shilcock, a senior fellow at the National Skills Coalition, which advocates for vocational-skills training, told me. Overall, immigrants make up a sixth of the American workforce, and immigrants who learn English earn more, mostly because they become eligible for higher-paying jobs. In the U.S., English proficiency and earnings are tightly bound. Read: Do language apps like Duolingo work? Madonna glided down a red staircase in the “Material Girl” music video, and we both wondered what it all meant. A few months after my family immigrated to the United States, my mom and I sat in our apartment in Los Angeles, trying to absorb English from MTV. I know firsthand the bewilderment of living in a new culture with no language skills. Unfortunately, it’s extremely difficult for immigrants to find English classes that are affordable and accessible. Most immigrants want to learn English, and immigration advocates think it should be easier for them to do so. Immigrants who learn English improve both their earnings and their acceptance by other Americans. The uncomfortable reality is that learning English can, in fact, make immigrants’ lives much better. It’s no accident that “You have to speak English!” was a Donald Trump rallying cry. In some circles, the call for immigrants to speak English has fused with a call for less immigration in general, as though language differences are themselves offensive. It can sound simultaneously like a demand for instant assimilation, an accusation of disloyalty, and a presumption of stubbornness or ignorance. “Speak English!” can be one of the cruelest things for an immigrant to hear.