Last week, New York Governor David Paterson signed a bill under which all election materials will henceforth also be published in Russian. 

Officials have spoken a great deal about the importance of the signing of this bill. I carefully watched the video of the presentation of the document at the Shorefront Y. Judging from the enthusiastic speeches of prominent New YorkUnited States. Now we have the same rights as the Chinese, Korean and Spanish speakers, all of whom have long been able to read materials in their native languages.  politicians, the "Russification of elections" is nothing other than the most significant event in the life of every Russian-speaking person who lives in the

Because of all the emotion, there were few who could make out the essence of this change. But, broadly speaking, it amounts to the ballot now reading Майкл Блумберг instead of "Michael Bloomberg." By embracing the bill, Russian-speaking voters – U.S. citizens with a minimum of 5-6 years in the country – have admitted, to put it mildly, to their own illiteracy. To live in an English-speaking country for many years and not learn elementary conversational English is disgraceful and shows deep disrespect for the Stars and Stripes.

Here some readers will cry out, "How dare you say that, Novitsky! The bill was passed for senior citizens who cannot learn English because of their age! Leave them alone!"

This is the favorite excuse of all elderly Russian-speaking immigrants. They assert that the greatest barrier to studying language is age. But in reality, provided there is the desire, learning a minimal amount of English is just slightly more difficult than getting used to American currency. And if you take into account the number of free courses offered by various associations, coalitions, centers, schools, and other organizations, "to help Russian-speaking immigrants adapt to America," then you get the impression that "our brother" has made the conscious decision not to study English. 

And indeed, why study it? After all, it won't be long before we achieve the Russification of street signs, the simultaneous translation of American TV stations, and the decoding of junk mail in our mailboxes. Rest assured, congressmen will go to these absurd lengths when the most important thing for them is satisfying a potential electorate. 

There is nothing surprising about the fact that with the signing of this bill, New York's Russian-speaking community has taken its "worthy" place among Spanish, Chinese, and Korean speakers. And while the presence of Spanish on this list can be explained by national significance (thanks to the conquistadors and the 47 million Latinos in the United States), Chinese and Koreans really do need the help of translations. The move from characters to an alphabet really is a big problem for them. This is a fact. If you don't believe me, then try for the sake of curiosity to learn Chinese or Korea, at least superficially. 

It is just slightly more difficult for a Russian-speaking immigrant to learn English than it is for Italians, the French, Germans, Israelis, Africans, or Scandinavians (the latter have had success doing so).  Any linguist will tell you this is true. 

By the way, my Italian neighbor sincerely sympathized with me about the language bill. "I think you have become completely lazy, my friend," he told me cautiously. "I remember that I was ashamed to even go to the DMV without knowing English, so I only got my driver's license a year after I came here. After all, first you need to learn how to speak." 

And really, it is hard to imagine the German or Italian communities in New York demanding the translation of some public service materials into their native languages. First, their own sense of self-worth would not allow it. Second, it is shameful to solicit millions in federal dollars for a linguistic fancy during a financial crisis when the country has plenty of real problems. 

After the adoption of the legislation on Russian language, I personally became convinced that not knowing English is the main problem of Russian-speaking immigrants. Russian Bazaar frequently receives letters from people complaining that they have been deceived by employers, landlords, lawyers, vendors, etc. These poor folks usually ask for advice on where to turn for help or how to handle one situation or another. After all, most of them are hostage of the Russian language – they are scared to start a conversation with "foreigners" (this is how Russians commonly refer to English-language speakers) – or are caught in the "Soviet ghetto," which continues to pit itself against the real America. 

They constantly complain about their rough lives but refuse to study English, which is the main thing that would change their lives! 

I remember many years ago that my American tutor said, "The only people who can be disappointed in the United States are those who do not know English, because it is the universal key to all doors." I become more and more convinced of the wisdom of this statement every day. 

Lack of English completely cuts people off from the real America. They are forced to communicate with people who have a very limited range of interests. Fear of learning English transforms, over time, into an inferiority complex that breeds rage, envy, and hatred. Just think about why such a spiteful atmosphere reigns in Brighton Beach. 

I am truly sorry for Russian-speaking immigrants who perceive the adoption of the Russian Language Voters Bill as an historic event. To be honest, I would be far happier if one fine day New York officials were to announce that the Russian-speaking community (as is) no longer existed. Then Governor Paterson would say something like, "Russian-speaking immigrants have melded so seamlessly into American life that it is no longer possible to separate them into a distinct ethnic enclave. We can now proudly call them Americans of Russian descent." 

Then the group of loud enthusiasts who call themselves "community leaders" would stop speaking on behalf of the entire Russian-language community. Redundant associations and coalitions that exist mostly because of the language barrier would disappear. And to the proposals by officials to translate materials into Russian, every one of "our" U.S. citizens would answer indignantly but proudly, "Who do you take me for? I am an American."