Friday, August 30, 2002
Getting Things Backward at UPI
Peter Roff, National Political Analyst for United Press International, suggests in a column that George W. Bush should be the model for the English First movement:
Too many of the president's natural allies think that people can be forced to learn the language and want to enact public policies in furtherance of that objective.
They need instead to look to the example set down by Bush and by his brother, the governor of Florida. To reach these immigrants, these new citizens and potential citizens, they need to hear that the helping hand of friendship is extended in a way they can understand.
Now I am on record as defending President Bush's right to give speeches in Spanish. I am also on record as being appalled by his Administration's continued endorsement of Clinton-era mandatory mulitlingualism.
Roff cites polling data from "recent polls by the bilingual firm Opiniones Latinas" which finds Hispanics to be basically conservative on a host of social issues. This was the same sort of polling cited time and time again during 1997-1998 when then-Speaker Newt Gingrich was busy trying to make Spanish-only Puerto Rico America's 51st state.
Roff also informs his readers that "the principal pro-English advocates are often their own worst enemies. Using harsh rhetoric and terms like English first and English only, they alienate Latinos . . ." Gee, given the letters I receive from Hispanic Americans, I doubt that a government which said, "you really should learn English and we will insist your children learn English in our public schools," would be viewed in a negative way by the average Hispanic not employed by MALDEF, LULAC or Opiniones Latinas.
If Spanish is now the only way politicians can communicate with Hispanic, we are much further down the road so well trod by Canada than anyone thought.
|posted by Jim on 3:24 PM|
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