Archberdmans t1_j9rrzzm wrote on February 24, 2023 at 2:23 AM

Reply to comment by NewCanadianMTurker in TIL that there are more than 160 endangered languages in the United States alone. In addition to many Native American languages, Cajun French, Eastern Yiddish, and Martha's Vineyard, Hawaii, and Plains Sign Language are all endangered. by afeeney

Language is a part of culture it’s not independent, language loss is a sign of cultural erasure. American Indians most definitely have been harmed and their language loss is, in some cases, a direct result of that harm. In a vacuum you’re right but in the context of American Indians it’s a bad thing

NewCanadianMTurker t1_j9rsqut wrote on February 24, 2023 at 2:28 AM

Good point. I'd still say that the benefits of knowing English outweigh the drawbacks for most Americans. But for people like the American Indians who have cultures which are vastly different than most Americans, yeah they wouldn't benefit from cultural adaptation.