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Jando Martinez
Joined: 01 May 2008 12:15 pm
Posts: 10
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Posted: 03 May 2008 12:47 am
Post Subject: Spanish Read Article
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As I enter this forum with a great deal of trepidation, I recognize that I will not change anybody's mindset. Clearly Ms. Lockridge and her supporters have strong feelings against the use of the Spanish language in addition to English.
Yet here are a few things to consider:
First of all, contrary to Ms. Lockridge's assertions, the majority of people of Mexican ancestry in Texas are not here "illegally." In fact, I would venture to say that the vast majority of Tejanos and Mexican Americans in East Texas and the rest of the Lone Star State are here legally. The latest census sort of suggests this. Beyond that I will not split hairs.
Second, many of the Mexican Americans in Texas still choose to speak Spanish. I doubt that any rational, logical Hispanic thinks he/she can get ahead in this world without learning English. Yet they remain fond of their native language and many of them--including myself--try to speak Spanish as often as possible (in the grocery store, in the auto shop, and in the streets of Tyler).
Why the fondness for Spanish? Well, besides the obvious native ties, we also happen to border Mexico. There is no way around that fact. Those of us who live in the Southwest do not live in a vacuum. We cannot simply think that because we live in America, we are not influenced by our neighbors to the South. Accordingly, my family and I continue to speak the native language.
Third, if the "melting pot" image is disturbing to some, I truly feel sad. But that is the legacy of the United States. Its history if you will. Just as we celebrate St. Patrick's Day every March and similar to how Texans commemorate Oktoberfest to honor German Americans who first came to this state in the 1840s, multiculturalism is here to stay. Sorry.
However, do not feel dismayed. Anglo Texans despised the German speaking communities at the turn of the 20th century--during the World War I era--and slowly their language and German-language newspapers faded away during the Red Scare era that followed. Italian Americans in the northeastern United States also lost their native language newspapers with time. The same notion holds true for Texans of Mexican ancestry. There is a fear that Mexicans (or Mexican Americans) will take over this nation. While unfounded, these fears are prevalent in the Southwest.
Finally, please consider that not every person who speaks Spanish is here "illegally." In fact, that is one of the challenges to the current rage that is dominating the blogosphere demanding mass deportations. In other words, where do you begin? And, how do you proceed? To be precise: how can you tell who is here legally or illegally? By the sounds of several (not all) of the rants on this forum, many people feel that anyone who speaks Spanish and chooses to remain bilingual must likely be an "illegal alien." While I dare not suggest how xenophobic that sounds on the surface, I must respectfully suggest that the issue of using Spanish is far more complex. But ultimately, will that mean that I will have to carry documentation with me at all times simply because someone may deem arbitrarily that I look “illegal” and choose to speak Spanish? This is a pandora’s box of problems for many Hispanic Texans (another issue is how can you tell who is Mexican and who is Puerto Rican, for instance?).
I, for one, wish I could learn a third language. I truly am fascinated by the legacy of the central Texas and northern Texas towns that continue to celebrate this concept.
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Melanie Wolf
Joined: 28 Apr 2008 10:25 pm
Posts: 19
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Posted: 03 May 2008 04:41 pm
Post Subject: Re: Spanish
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I partly agree with you. Knowing more than one language doesnt make you an illegal it makes you knowledgeable and cultured. Whether the language be spanish, french, russian, german, chinese or whatever. A language is a language. I do believe though that in America one should be able to communicate with people in English even if they do prefer another language.
I believe that people are not really upset at the fact that spanish is being spoken along with english or instead of english I believe they are upset because whether its the mexicans in the southern states, the orientals in california, or the cubans in florida, the irish and italian in the northern states there are illegal people here and they should go through the process of becoming a citizen if they wish to live in the US. Thats why I think this is such a big topic for people.
And people need to realize that even though they want to discriminate against the mexicans, they are not the only illegals in this country. 
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MPW
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Jando Martinez
Joined: 01 May 2008 12:15 pm
Posts: 10
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Posted: 03 May 2008 10:27 pm
Post Subject: Re: Spanish
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Melanie, those are valid points. However, when I broached the issue of Spanish being the catalyst to angst, I was referring to the various rants and raves which specifically pointed to Spanish and referencing illegal immigrants from Mexico.
The key point, according to these individuals, was the fact that Spanish is so accessible in the Lone Star State, whether in street signs and/or otherwise. Yet I argue that those notions are not out of the ordinary. People in southern France learn Italian, citizens of Germany might make French more accessible, and so forth. I do not think it should anger people to the extent it apparently does. Again, I am certainly biased in this matter since I speak both languages rather fluently and often switch to Spanish when I am out in public.
Finally, I suggested that no Hispanic who truly wants to get ahead in this world would try to do so without learning English. I still remain fervent in that belief. All you need to do is take a look at all those "Learn English" booklets, DVDs, and such throughout the country. People know that the English language is the key to success.
I read how a reader jokingly wrote that making the English language the official language of Texas is like making Oxygen the official air we breathe. I tend to agree. I know I may be a minority in this view.
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