2025 NYC Mayor Race

[AquaCityBoy]

This a fact . Look at dudes like @John Reena , nap, @Outlaw, wire brain 28 and that entire gang. They drool at the thought of a progressive not living up go expectation in their eyes.

The thought of a Democrat actually delivering on their campaign promises and not throwing marginalized groups under the bus is so offensive to them

 

[bnew]

Whenever it became possible to live, work, vote and get government benefits without speaking English

A.I Generated(Perplexity):

Here is a full, thoroughly corrected report on when it became possible to live, work, vote, and receive government benefits in New York City without speaking English. This integrates the best sources, clarifies historical nuances, and corrects earlier oversights:

Overview​

New York City became a place where one could live and work without English proficiency as early as the wave of late-19th- and early-20th-century immigrants. However, full political participation—specifically voting rights for non-English speakers—was sharply restricted by an English literacy requirement imposed in 1921 and remained so until the late 1960s. Access to government benefits evolved more gradually, with significant language access only becoming a formal mandate in more recent decades.

Living and Working in NYC Without English​

• Throughout NYC history, immigrant communities—such as Germans, Italians, Irish, Eastern European Jews, Chinese, and others—established neighborhoods where English was not required for daily life.sites.asit.columbia
• Residency and most forms of work were not legally contingent on English proficiency, although formal employment in certain professions (e.g., law, teaching, government jobs) generally did require English.sites.asit.columbia

Voting: English Literacy Requirements​

• New York State passed a constitutional amendment in 1921 requiring all new voters to prove the ability to read and write in English. Voters lacking an 8th-grade U.S. diploma or equivalent had to pass a literacy test administered by the Board of Regents.historicgeneva+2
• This literacy test primarily targeted immigrants and successfully disenfranchised many, including waves of Italian, Jewish, and, later, Puerto Rican residents.sites.asit.columbia
• The law stipulated: “After January 1, 1922, no person shall become entitled to vote... unless such person is also able, except for physical disability, to read and write English...”.nytimes+2
• The 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA) began lifting these barriers, first by exempting Puerto Ricans and later banning all literacy tests for federal elections; the 1970 amendments extended this nationwide and to all elections.archives+2
• After 1970, formal English literacy requirements ceased to be a barrier to voting in New York State.wikipedia

Accessing Government Benefits​

• No explicit legal requirement for English to receive government benefits such as welfare, housing, or public health existed, but practical access was hampered until translation and assistance services developed.sites.asit.columbia
• Over time, city agencies and community groups provided interpretation, and laws began mandating language access, especially from the 2000s onward.sites.asit.columbia

Summary Table​

Function	Pre-1921	1921–1970 (English literacy law)	1970–Present
Live & Work w/o English	Yessites.asit.columbia	Yessites.asit.columbia	Yessites.asit.columbia
Vote w/o English	Yessites.asit.columbia	No (English literacy test)historicgeneva+2	Yes (literacy tests abolished)sites.asit.columbia+2
Gov't Benefits w/o English	Raresites.asit.columbia	Limited, by agencysites.asit.columbia	Yes, with language access mandatessites.asit.columbia

Core Findings and Timeline​

• Living and Working: Non-English speakers have always found ways to live and work in NYC, particularly in ethnic enclaves with informal economies and tight-knit networks.sites.asit.columbia
• Voting: From 1922 until 1970, English literacy was strictly required for new voters, which shut out many immigrants and some U.S. citizens (notably Puerto Ricans educated in Spanish). The Voting Rights Act and subsequent federal amendments finally made English fluency unnecessary for voting.historicgeneva+4
• Government Benefits: True, practical access to social services without English has only been guaranteed in recent decades due to modern language access laws and city initiatives.sites.asit.columbia

Special Notes​

• The abolition of literacy tests in 1970 marked the turning point for political participation for non-English speakers in New York.
• Modern language access laws and translation services further reduced language barriers for accessing government services.sites.asit.columbia

This evidence shows that while living and working without English was always common in New York City, official ability to vote and access government benefits in one's mother tongue has only been fully protected from the 1970s onward, with ongoing improvements since then.nytimes+4

1. The Ballot Box in New York State
2. https://www.nytimes.com/1923/04/17/archives/literacy-tests-for-voting.html
3. https://sites.asit.columbia.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2022/05/Balestri-Marco_Final-Thesis.pdf
4. Voting Rights Act (1965)
5. Literacy test - Wikipedia
6. https://www.carnegie.org/our-work/article/voting-rights-timeline/
7. Explainer: The Supreme Court, Voting Rights and New York | WNYC | New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, News
8. Voting Rights Act of 1965 - Historical Society of the New York Courts
9. LibGuides: Voting Resources: Voting in the United States: A Timeline

 

[theworldismine13]

I don't know what the point of all that was. I know nobody read all the stuff that I was telling KK but I explained already that the civil rights movement equated immigrants with black Americans and then being able to interact with government in your own language became a civil right.

I also explained that this created a different way of treating non English speakers then what was the traditional way

Your AI query explained all that, thanks, you don't have to take my word for it

We just have a difference of opinion, I would opine that there is nothing wrong with the old way, that was how the US was able to absorb so many immigrants and integrate then and also equating immigration issues with the history of black Americans is problematic

Also I want to add that Ms Ling Ling the Chinese seamstress that you are caping for so hard will be the first person to vote for the proposition to eliminate AA and she will be in the front lines of a protest at city hall with a sign in Chinese demanding to free Peter Liang, that's why you won't catch me caping for her, that hoe needs to speak English imo

The idea that demanding that government have forms in 12 languages is part of some great alliance with immigrants or that it leads to faster integration into America is delusional

 

[bnew]

I don't know what the point of all that was. I know nobody read all the stuff that I was telling KK but I explained already that the civil rights movement equated immigrants with black Americans and then being able to interact with government in your own language became a civil right.

I also explained that this created a different way of treating non English speakers then what was the traditional way

Your AI query explained all that

We just have a difference of opinion, I would opine that there is nothing wrong with the old way, that was how the US was able to absorb so many immigrants and integrate then and also equating immigration issues with the history of black Americans is problematic

Also I want to add that Ms Ling Ling the Chinese seamstress that you are caping for so hard will be the first person to vote for the proposition to eliminate AA and she will be in the front lines of a protest at city with a sign in Chinese demanding to free Peter Liang, that's why you won't catch me caping for her, that hoe needs to speak English imo

The idea that demanding that government have forms in 12 languages is part of some great alliance with immigrants or that it leads to faster integration into America is delusional

I never said any of this. allowing non-native english speakers to communicate with the government in their native languages facilitates a positive economic impact, efficient use of resources, ensures they're aware of their responsibilities and rights and they can also report emergencies.

In the example you put forth, the language skills isn't the problem, it's their values.

 

[theworldismine13]

I never said any of this. allowing non-native english speakers to communicate with the government in their native languages facilitates a positive economic impact, efficient use of resources, ensures they're aware of their responsibilities and rights and they can also report emergencies.

In the example you put forth, the language skills isn't the problem, it's their values.

"allowing non-native english speakers to communicate with the government in their native languages"

does not have any economic impact either way

it is very inefficient to have government forms in different languages, the idea that it increases efficiency is so absurd, it actually creates a new layer of bureaucracy.

It also creates a set of jobs in both the private and public sector in which it becomes legal to discriminate against people that only speak English. Bilingual requirements have been used extensively to discriminate against black job seekers

Their responsibility is to learn English, using English they can learn how all their rights come from what black Americans fought for and how to respond to emergencies

Overall you are trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist, the us and nyc ran totally fine with English government forms while absorbing millions of immigrants

 

[theworldismine13]

In the example you put forth, the language skills isn't the problem, it's their values.

Sure, but analyzing the issue without taking values into account is very dangerous

It's important to understand that civil rights which was a movement to stop discrimination against black people is being used to give benefits to people that hate black people. Ironic and disturbing.

This is why you guys felt stupid (if you had any self awareness) when the majority of Hispanics voted for trump after all that caping that Indian woman and you guys had done for illegal immigrants. If you had understood the values of these people you wouldn't have been caught out there holding the bag like idiots