Fascinating article "Learning the New Language of Labor: Spanish Instruction Increasingly Geared to the Workaday World" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37772-2002Aug19.html.

Frankly, I'm surprised at the willingness of Eastern white people to learn any Spanish, but I see that the economics of it works out. 

I don't think it coddles immigrants to learn enough of their language to have a safe, more efficient work environment.  In fact, I would guess that most immigrants would love to speak English better if they could.  English-speaking Americans like to get in all a twiddle about immigrants purposely not learning English.  My guess is that when you work 7 days a week in a low-paying, back-breaking job where you send lots of your money home, studying English is going to be harder.  However, here in California, I've seen precisely those kind of people show up 4 times a week, after work, to 1.5 hr classes that a church provides.  Land of the free, home of the brave--maybe we can cut new immigrants a little slack and celebrate them for what they do do well.

5:53:21 AM