Are We A Bilingual Nation?
ARE WE A BILINGUAL NATION?
By Oscar Lippe
It seems like everywhere I go nowadays, I find Spanish translation/version of information. Supermarket doors, restaurants, public buildings display the “abierto” or “empuje” signs right next to the English version of “open” and “push”, not unlike other bilingual nations like Canada, Belgium or Switzerland do with French Flemish or German. It is true we are a nation of immigrants. Of Jews and Chinese, Irish and Italians. Our melting pot simmers low having absorbed culture after culture wave after wave century after century, and there came the Japanese and the Vietnamese and the Cambodians and the peoples of India and the middle east. All integrated and finally worked into the woodwork under one flag that meant freedom, freedom of speech and religion, and thought, sanctuary against oppression and social and political prosecution. Also under one language. English the language of the land. And yes we saw the first generation immigrants always holding onto the mother languages and traditions, only to see their children conquer a place of their own into society and the American way of life, they became American without denying their heritage. What is this strange phenomenon we are experiencing then? Why is Spanish as a language permeating profusely our daily lives? Even political candidates post their websites in Spanish. Is it because Spanish speaking voters make up twenty percent plus of the canvas? And why should Spanish speakers be treated any different than any other voter? Or any other citizen? Does that mean that Spanish speakers today do not have to worry about learning English? Information will be served in a platter to conform to their needs?, are we condoning or even encouraging Spanish speakers to hold on to their language in detriment of English? Or are we simply accepting the fact that we are slowly becoming a bilingual nation?. If so, then why not do so openly? Why all the controversy? On one hand we publicly deny it but print it in Spanish just in case? And what effects can we expect short and long term of the impact the Spanish language is having in America? Maybe it is for the better, who knows maybe everybody should understand Spanish. Then we should allow it into the school curriculum in eight grade or why not seventh grade, so that by age seventeen everybody is fluently bilingual. My children, your children and our grandchildren as well. Am I being radical? Perhaps. Do I know what I am saying? Perhaps not, maybe I should not even be writing this. Who cares anyway, right? Well it is food for thought and certainly a blogger's’ delight, so post me and re post me let’s see what you think.
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