I believe we are being dishonest with language minority groups if we tell them they can take full part in American life without learning the English language. S. I. Hayakawa More Quotes by S. I. Hayakawa More Quotes From S. I. Hayakawa English is the key to full participation in the opportunities of American life. S. I. Hayakawa participationkeysopportunity Notice the difference between what happens when a man says to himself, I have failed three times, and what happens when he says, I am a failure. S. I. Hayakawa failuredifferencesmen The last thing a scientist would do is cling to a map because he inherited it from his grandfather, or because it was used by George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. S. I. Hayakawa mapslastsgrandfather Ever since man began to till the soil and learned not to eat the seed grain but to plant it and wait for harvest, the postponement of gratification has been the basis of a higher standard of living and of civilization. S. I. Hayakawa waitingmencivilization The great thing about the United States is our ability to absorb foreign people and make them a part of us. S. I. Hayakawa abilityunited-statespeople I'm going to speak my mind because I have nothing to lose. S. I. Hayakawa truthinspirationalfunny In the age of television, image becomes more important than substance. S. I. Hayakawa substanceimportantage In the case of drama (stage, movies, television ), there appear to be people in almost every audience who never quite fully realize that a play is a set of fictional, symbolic representations. An actor is one who symbolizes other people, real or imagined. [...] Also some years ago it was reported that when Edward G. Robinson, who used to play gangster roles with extraordinary vividness, visited Chicago, local hoodlums would telephone him at his hotel to pay their professional respects. S. I. Hayakawa realdramayears We live in a highly competitive society, each of us trying to outdo the other in wealth, in popularity or social prestige, in dress, in scholastic grades or golf scores. One is often tempted to say that conflict, rather than cooperation, is the great governing principle of human life. S. I. Hayakawa principlesgolftrying The English Language Amendment says above all, 'Let's see to it that our children, our young people, learn English. Let us not deny them the opportunity to participate in American life, so that they can go as far as their dreams and talents can take them. S. I. Hayakawa dreamopportunitychildren The language we share is at the core of our identity as citizens, and our ticket to full participation in American political life. We can speak any language we want at the dinner table, but English is the language of public discourse, or the marketplace and of the voting booth. S. I. Hayakawa votingpoliticalidentity The United States is enriched by many cultures, and united by a single common language. S. I. Hayakawa united-statescommonculture McDonalds in Tokyo is a terrible revenge for Pearl Harbor. S. I. Hayakawa mcdonaldspearlsrevenge English, our common language, binds our diverse people. S. I. Hayakawa languagecommonpeople If I spoke no English, my world would be limited to the Japanese-speaking community, and no matter how talented I was, I could never do business, seek employment or take part in public affairs outside that community. S. I. Hayakawa employmentcommunitywould-be Those terrifying verbal jungles called laws are simply such directives, accumulated, codified, and systematized through the centuries. S. I. Hayakawa junglecenturylaw Agreement is brought about by changing people's minds - other people's. S. I. Hayakawa agreementmindpeople Patriotic societies seem to think that the way to educate school children in a democracy is to stage bigger and better flag-saluting. S. I. Hayakawa patrioticchildrenschool The United States, a land of immigrants from every corner of the world, has been strengthened and unified because its newcomers have historically chosen ultimately to forgo their native language for the English language. We have all benefited from the sharing of ideas, of cultures and beliefs, made possible by a common language. We have all enriched each other. S. I. Hayakawa native-languagelandideas Advertising is a symbol-manipulating occupation S. I. Hayakawa symbolsadvertisingoccupation
