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Does Something Being Also in Español Bother You

10:40 H | Topics: Bilingualism - Blogs - Internet - Language - Politics

Most of our readers probably aren't bothered by websites being available in Spanish as well as English, in fact many of you are pleased with that option that includes a large, growing portion of our population. The Hillary Clinton campaign website and Barack Obama campaign websites both have Spanish language versions available from their main page (not so for John McCain). One U.S. Senate race in Texas however, is getting heat for offering information in Spanish. Texas Democrat Rick Noriega's site is being called offensive for having an en Español button. One blogger asks:

Is it just me, or is the "en español" button on Noriega's site highly offensive?

The sad fact is that, no it's not just that blogger. A comment on the same blog reads:

I find it offensive and I also find it offensive that any business you call or credit card company or anything has the greeting in english then in mexican. I hate it when some say press 1 to hear it in spanish. But what can I do.

Now, I didn't know that as a Spanish speaker I spoke Mexican (here I was thinking I spoke ChileRican) but the comment reveals a growing anti-immigrant fever that links anything and everything in Spanish with Mexico and Mexicans.

Burnt Orange Report reminds readers that:

At least 20 percent of eligible voters in virtually every major Texas city are Spanish speakers or have limited English. In some areas, the number is around 60 percent. The reality is that, in the Texas of 2008, it is actually "offensive" to NOT have an "En Espanol" button as it excludes millions of Texans.
It is also "offensive" to believe that some Texanss, depending on what language they speak, do not deserve to access to information about candidates.

So does something being in Español as well as in English offend you?

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