What is your second language?

Rod and I finished up a new endeavor this year, teaching English as a second language (ESL).
Our class consisted of a Latino couple we have insured at our business and two Asian ladies from the nail salon I use.
We started in October and finished on March 15th.
This has to be one of the craziest endeavors that Rod ever talked me into but it worked! We were taking Spanish ourselves, preparing for a quick week trip to Guadalajara Mexico when our teacher asked us if we would be interested in "tutoring" some Latinos in English in exchange for some help from them with our Spanish.

Well, Rod gets very enthusiastic about these things and begin to invite everyone we came in contact with that looked like they could use a little help with English. When I would express my concern he would assure me that "We can do this". Thanks to my background in teaching phonics we were able to put together some pretty good material and I can say now that I am quite proud of the progress these wonderful people made this year.
I was inspired by these new friends and their ability to navigate our culture. They are so far ahead of me in that they already speak TWO languages, just need a little help with the second one, some more than others.

Sometimes you hear "natives" making derogatory remarks about these new comers. I don't think I have ever known any of these "commentators" that could speak another language yet somehow they feel that having been passively pushed out of the womb into a free country like ours makes them above these others.
Many internationals seem to be bringing a lot more to our country than some of their critics. We readily hire and use these people to do our nails, roof our houses, and clean up after us but "tsk, tsk" about the jobs they are taking when in our own little clicks.

I have had some experiences that made me resent immigration but in each case I was viewing them from outside their circle, unable to understand their language or cultural ways. Meeting with non natives every week puts a "face and personality" to these foreigners and you soon see how much like you and I they are. Loving parents, struggling bread winners.....

Rod and I are finishing the book, "Infidel. The author talks about the prejudice between different blacks within the the same regions of Africa who may have slightly different shapes of noses, hair curliness, or shade of black skin color, etc. It is chilling to hear how these "different" people are characterized with the same characteristics we commonly hear people use to describe "different" people here; lazy, dirty, immoral, dishonest, etc. You could close your eyes and be in a cafe somewhere in America and hear the same generalizations. To know how this can turn into raw hatred and mass murder should get our attention.
Prejudice is a common human problem the world over. Does it make you wonder what the root of the problem is that drives us to need someone to look down on? Are we all prejudice in some way?
I have opinions about "groups" of people that may be considered prejudice. There are statistical differences is cultures but how do we process and explain those differences? Have you had a close relationship with someone from another culture? Have you formed your opinions without such a relationship?
Do you think there were family influences that affect how you perceive these people? Do you think your religion is strong enough to stand along side these other faiths that are coming in?
I would enjoy your thoughts/questions, please comment even if you don't agree with me.