Michelle Wu: “we are all products of our own past, I suppose. I came to this country not understanding a word of English and I am…”

“we are all products of our own past, I suppose. I came to this country not understanding a word of English and I am still working on my limited English proficiency. But when I was in the fourth grade, my dentist, Dr. Sadao, my doctor, Dr. Linnertz, would say to me, ``David, let me tell you something and then you translate it for your mother. And then your mother can tell you and then you can tell me.'' To me, my mother spoke perfectly fine English and so did Dr. Linnertz and so did Dr. Sadao. What we are really talking about are all those people out there who do not have a little fourth-grade David to translate for them. I want to ask the gentleman from Oklahoma who he proposes to leave behind: My mother? Another little old lady from somewhere else in the world? I would like to read something into the Record: ``I believe that every right implies a responsibility, every opportunity an obligation, every possession a duty.'' Those are the words of John D. Rockefeller. I tell children all the time, you have got to learn the king's English. But if you are asking children to learn the king's English, for God sakes you cannot leave their parents behind. You cannot leave their grandparents behind. I would like the folks on the other side of this argument to say, who are you leaving behind? Who will you cut out of the ability to participate in our self-governing democratic society?”