I think assimilation is a powerful factor that works even against attempts to prevent it. But the process in between is messy. I'll give you an interesting anecdotal experience, which I have experienced a few times before.
I was sitting next to two young women on a Mexicana flight to Guadalajara. Both were speaking only Spanish but had US passports. Although I had a difficult time understanding their Spanish. When filling out the Mexican tourist visa card they were uncertain how to fill out part of it, so asked my advice - in very poor English. I noticed on their cards they lived in a part of Los Angeles populated almost exclusively by Spanish speaking immigrants.
My Spanish is not perfect and I had some difficulty understanding a couple of things the flight attendant said in an announcement - for one thing our non-stop flight was now stopping in Mazatlan. Immediately the two women next to me started discussing the same thing in Spanish, so I said to them in English I too thought we were on a non-stop flight.
As we discussed this an American woman, who I later learned had a Masters degree in Spanish language and culture, explained to the three of us why the terminology the flight attendant used meant we were flying through, ie over, Mazatlan on the way rather than landing at Mazatlan.
When I spoke with her later in line at Mexican Customs, she confirmed that the two women I was sitting next to were speaking very poor Spanish, only slightly better than their English, which explained why they were so difficult to understand. So here were two Americans who could not communicate fluently in any language, neither English nor Spanish.
Its much like my housekeeper. If I don't know a word in Spanish, it is rare that she herself can remember what the Spanish word is - yet she doesn't speak very good English, in spite of continuing night classes. But her two daughters speak fluent English with a native, and also speak enough Spanish to be able to communicate with their Mother.
From what I've seen the process of assimilation to a new culture just takes longer than Pat Buchanan expects.
Obviously that minority of people who are more adept at languages will adapt faster - a lot of which depends upon need. My Great-grandmother spoke seven languages, my Grandfather five, while I only speak three well. I'm sure I would learn more if I lived in other countries for an extended period, but I haven't.
Yet there are many members of my family, my Mom, Dad and Brother, who have found learning another language other than English impossible in spite of classes and strong family pressure to do so. If my family had emigrated to a non-English speaking country these three members of my family wouldn't have resisted assimilation, but I doubt they would have been capable of doing so. They're intelligent, but not with languages.
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