United States Hispanics And The Spanish Language

The charts above are from a Pew Research Center survey -- done between August 1st and 14th of a nationwide sample of 3,029 Hispanic adults, with a 2.7 point margin of error.

Speaking English Doesn't Make You An American

"Puerto Rico has been a U.S. territory since our government forcibly annexed it in 1898, over a hundred years ago. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. Puerto Rico has two official languages: Spanish and English. Thirty eight Puerto Ricans gave their lives in Iraq wearing the flag of the United States; fifteen did in Afghanistan. Most of them likely spoke Spanish as their native tongue. Something to keep in mind the next time you hear someone equating Americanness with speaking English."

State Rep. Lon Burnam (D-Fort Worth)

English Requirement In U.S. Is Unnecessary

An American Community Survey (based on U.S. Census data) shows that there are 37.6 million people in the United States that speaks the Spanish language in their home. That makes the United States fifth in the number of Spanish-speaking people in the entire world -- only Mexico, Spain, Columbia, and Argentina have more Spanish language speakers.

On the surface, that would tend to support the argument of those who want to establish English as the official language, or who would require an ability to speak English as a requirement to become a citizen. Even Congress has fallen for this argument, and the immigration reform bill passed by the Senate requires undocumented immigrants to learn English before they can become citizens. And a recent Gallup Poll (done between June 13th and July 5th of 4,373 nationwide adults -- with a margin of error of only 2 points) verifies that a huge majority of Americans consider it "essential" for immigrants to learn English.

Frankly, I am at a loss to understand why this is even an issue. Do Americans think that immigrants will refuse to learn English (in an English-speaking society) for generation after generation? If so, then they are very mistaken. As a Pew Research Center survey has shown, while only about 35% of first generation immigrants learn to speak English "very well", that is certainly not the case with the following generations. The second generation has about 91% who speak English very well, and for the third generation that rises to about 97%.

That means this is just a false, and probably anti-immigrant, attitude. Making English a legal requirement is a silly and unnecessary issue, because the problem (if it really can be considered a problem), corrects itself by the second generation. Immigrants know that English is necessary to truly integrate into American society, and even if they don't master the language themselves, they make sure their children and grandchildren do master it.

We need to stop worrying about false issues like language (that corrects itself), and start worrying about people. Besides, multiculturalism has never hurt the United States. In fact, it is one of this nation's greatest strengths. The Spanish language is not our enemy -- bigotry and xenophobia are.

"English Only" Is Just Bigotry

Does the above sign bother you because it gives the same information in two different languages? It does bother some people. These people want the United States to adopt an "official" language, English, and mandate that only that language be used on all signs, official paperwork, and in government offices. That would mean anyone in this country, whether visiting or living here, would just be out of luck if they could not speak fluent English.

And one of those people who want the United States to adopt an "English only" law is presidential candidate and current governor of Texas, Rick Perry (which is kind of weird since Spanish was spoken in Texas for a couple of hundred years before English was). In an Iowa campaign stop the other day, Rick Perry agreed with a teabagger who complained about other languages being used in this country.

I must admit that I have never understood this viewpoint. For one thing, even when immigrants come to this country without a knowledge of English their children and further generations are English-speakers. The inability to speak and write English never extends beyond a single generation. So even if this is a problem, it is a problem that corrects itself within a generation.

Second, how fair is it to cut off new immigrants from basic knowledge that everyone should be privy to? If a sign warns of danger or prohibits some kind of behavior (like the sign above), shouldn't as many people as possible be able to understand it? If a person has business in a government office, or must go to court, is it fair that the business be conducted in a language they don't understand? Of course not. Any American in a foreign country would expect a translator if they had to go to a government office or court, and we should do the same.

Third, just how does it hurt any English-speaking American to have signs, ballots, or other things in more than one language? The answer of course is that it doesn't hurt anyone. If English is your only language (which is sadly true of most Americans), then ignore the parts of the sign or document that aren't in English. Nobody is hurt by bi-lingual signs or documents, and some people are helped. That in itself is reason enough to continue doing it.

The only reason I can think of for wanting an English-only law is to force other people to be just like you. And trying to force others to be like you is not freedom -- it is just old-fashioned bigotry. It takes a pretty small-minded and bigoted person to think that their language or customs are better than those of other people.

Frankly, I love living in a country where a variety of languages are spoken and customs honored. And as a Texan, I believe the Spanish language, customs, and heritage (which were here long before any other) give a rich sub-text to the Texas experience -- and I wouldn't have it any other way.

We are lucky to live in the most interesting country in the world. It's time to set aside the bigotry and enjoy the rich texture of our modern America. Diversity is not a curse -- it's a treasure.

GOP State Senator Disrespects Texas History & Culture

The Texas legislature is currently considering a rather stupid bill that would outlaw "sanctuary cities" in the state of Texas -- even though no one can name a single one (if they exist at all). The main thing the bill would do is to turn local and state police into immigration officers, giving them the authority to question those they stop who may not be citizens (Hispanics) and arrest them for violating federal immigration law.

This bill is nothing more than a political bone to be thrown to the brain-dead teabaggers who control the Republican Party in Texas. Anyone who thinks turning local and state police into immigration officials is a reasonable way to deal with the more than 11 million undocumented aliens in this country is not living in the real world. It would not only hurt farmers, ranchers and business people, but it would be physically impossible to actually arrest and deport any significant portion of that population.

But while it is just a false solution to the immigration problem, it could have a seriously negative effect on our communities -- especially in the area of criminal justice. That is why police officials in El Paso, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Ft. Worth, and Austin are opposing the bill. The police in these and other Texas cities have spent decades trying to form a trusting and workable alliance with the undocumented community, and their success in this has paid real benefits -- both in the reporting of criminal behavior and in helping police to catch the culprits and convict them. If these local police must act as immigration officers they will lose the trust and help of the undocumented community, making the state a more dangerous place for all citizens.

But this is already understood by many (except for the teabaggers who think complex problems must have simple answers). What I really wanted to discuss was something that happened as this bill was being considered in a Senate committee. Here is how the Fort Worth Star-telegram described it:

At one point, a man with the Austin Immigrants' Rights Coalition testified in Spanish with someone else translating his comments into English. The man mentioned he came to America in 1988. After about 2 minutes, Sen. Chris Harris, R-Arlington, interrupted him.

"Why aren't you speaking in English?" Harris asked.

The man, clearly flustered, explained that he was more comfortable testifying in Spanish, his first langauge, since it was his first time delivering testimony.

"it's insulting to us," Harris said. "It is very insulting. If he knows English, he needs to be speaking in English."

Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, was quick to add in that, just like witnesses, "Senators are also entitled to speak their personal point of view and may not be speaking for everybody as well."

The man finished his remarks in Spanish.

Frankly, I am shocked at the remarks of the GOP senator. He is obviously ignorant of Texas history and culture. The fact is that Spanish has been spoken in Texas since the mid-1500's, and it was not until nearly 300 years later that English-speakers began to populate the state. To question anyone's right to speak Spanish in Texas is simply ludicrous.

I know that some teabaggers would respond that the Texas War of Independence from Mexico changed that. But this was not a war of an English culture defeating a Hispanic culture. Many of those who died in the Alamo and many of those in Sam Houston's victorious army were Hispanics (and Spanish speakers). It was a war for independence -- not a cultural war. And both as a country and then as a state Texas has always had a significant Hispanic accent -- in culture and language. It is something that real Texans are proud of.

The gentleman testifying in Spanish before the committee did not insult Harris or any of his colleagues. But Sen. Harris did insult all the citizens of Texas (of all races, colors, and languages). And he showed no respect for the history and culture of the state he is supposed to represent. He should be ashamed of himself.

Driving While Hispanic Is NOT A Crime

A week or so ago, Ernestina Mondragon was driving in Dallas and made an illegal u-turn. She was ticketed for that and found guilty by a judge. There is no problem with that. She broke a traffic law and will have to pay a fine.

The problem is with another ticket she was given by the Dallas police officer. She was also ticketed for driving a car without being able to speak English. I am amazed that this ticket was given. Even most ordinary citizens in Texas know that there is no law requiring an ability to speak English to be able to drive. How could a policeman, who is supposed to know the law, make such an egregious mistake?

The judge did dismiss the ridiculous ticket, and Dallas Police Chief Kunkle apologized for the patrolman's mistake. The bad thing is that Chief Kunkle also admitted that the Dallas Police Department has issued 38 of these tickets in the last three years!

Let me make that clear. The Dallas Police Department has for the last three years issued more than one ticket a month for a driver not being an English-speaker! What is going on? What is the cause of so many of these illegal tickets being issued?

Either the Dallas Police Department is failing to properly train their officers on the law, or there are some immigrant-hating racist officers in the department trying to enforce their own personal brand of justice. I hope it is the former, because that can and should be fixed with better training. The latter is far more troublesome.

NOTE -- There is a law requiring drivers of public transportation (buses and taxis) to be able to speak English. But this law does not extend to (and was never meant to extend to) ordinary drivers in their own cars.

The Stupidity Of "English Only"

Recently, the Republicans have been appealing to the racist base of their party by trying to play off their fear of immigrants -- especially Hispanic immigrants. One of the ways they are doing this is by trying to pass laws declaring that only the English language can be used in official government documents such as court papers, ballots and other documents.

Of course, this totally ignores the Hispanic culture that is a valued part of some states, especially the southwest part of the United States. In Texas, Florida, New Mexico, Arizona and California, Spanish has been spoken for centuries longer than English. Trying to outlaw Spanish in these states is not just silly -- it is a denial of their history and culture.

But the main reason "English only" is stupid is its basic unfairness. It is currently being used as a way to deny access to undocumented immigrants. But it is not just unfair to this group -- it is also unfair to Hispanics who are legal residents with the proper documentation. Why should anyone be punished for speaking and writing the language they grew up with?

Consider this. Let's say you were a legal resident of a non-English speaking country and got arrested. Would you think it was fair if the trial and the legal documents were were in a language you could not understand and translations were not made available to you? You not only wouldn't understand the charges, but you would have no idea what the court and the witnesses were saying about you.

That would be the very definition of unfairness. But that is what the "English only" proponents want to do to Hispanic immigrants. They are not interested in being fair. They are only interested in soothing their own irrational fear of those who are not exactly like them.

These people want us to believe if an immigrant speaks Spanish, then that means he is not trying to assimilate into our culture. Not true. They are simply speaking the language they grew up with and are most comfortable speaking. New statistics by the Pew Hispanic Center show that by the second generation this is a moot point anyway.

While only 23% of first-generation Hispanic immigrants speak English fluently, by the second generation that number has risen to 88%, and by the third generation the figure is 94%. As D'Vera Cohn of the Pew Center says, "The second generation has a foot in each world, and the third has made the transition to English. By the third generation and beyond, English is dominant, and Spanish has faded into the background."

So "English only" is not needed to force immigrants to assimilate -- they are already doing that. It is just a code phrase for discrimination. In fact, Hispanics cite speaking Spanish as a greater source of discrimination in this country than immigration status, income level or skin color.

I have never understood how a person speaking Spanish harms this country or any of its citizens.