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Why Does Latino in America Equal Spanish Being Criminalized and Pushed Aside

28 Oct 2009

It’s not just immigration that is being criminalized as some people have commented. Any trace of Latinidad deems people as targets for varying forms of harassment ranging from traffic stops, to tickets, to jails, to beat downs, to deaths. While some think that skin color alone can “mark” someone as other, and in this case Latino, language and varying levels of accents also brand. Just look at how much time is spent in this discussion on Latino in America on the issue of assimilation, acculturation and the role of language.

The issue always is how can you speak Spanish and still assimilate/aculturate with the ultimate goal seemingly being not being labeled/identified/called out as “other”. If you are going to insist on speaking Spanish then for everyone’s sake do it at home, where no one else can see or hear you or else face the consequences:

Let us not forget that we started 2009 with someone getting physically attacked while having a cell phone conversation in Spanish.

Sometimes we don’t even need language. Just having a name that could remind someone that you are Latino is enough to get you fired.

Knowing more makes you stupid

1:10 pm By la Macha · Bilingualism|children|Education|Immigration · 6 Comments

7 Oct 2009

One of my biggest pet peeves about anti-immigration pro-nativist rhetoric is how it has created this universal idea in U.S. culture about what “stupid” really is, especially in the area of language. Specifically, if you don’t speak English, you are actually (among other things) stupid. Irritating logic to say the least, but somewhat understandable how easily racism can twist lack of comprehension into stupidity.

What is beyond fathomable–what just destroys my faith in humanity every time I hear it, is the idea that being *bilingual* (or speaking more than one language), means you are stupid. Or “lagging behind.” Or somehow unable to keep up with the world or simply unprepared for life.

Witness: This very interesting clip from CNN that showcases a white family that decided to send their white children to a school that teaches it’s kids in Spanish. Which means that the kids are fluently bilingual before they graduate.

Notice how many times the reporter let us know that the kids are not “lagging behind?” And that there is a waiting list to get into the school? And that, holy Jesus, it’s actually a GOOD thing to know more? That when you know more, you are actually SMARTER?

I’ve said it a thousand times, and I’ll say it again here. Only in the Good Ol’ U.S. of A. could the population be so blinded by racism that we actually refuse to be educated in the attempt to ‘be smart.”

Only here could we honestly take pride in and form a national identity around ignorance.

Want Happy Latino Teens? Stop Forcing Assimilation.

7:42 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Bilingualism|Culture · 4 Comments

3 Jul 2009

020 For as far back as I can remember, I was told, by the words and actions of my parents that assimilation was the key to success. Success meaning a good education, a good job and acceptance by those around me. Comprehensive immigration reform, browned as Latino, is telling the undocumented the same thing. If they want to be successful and be accepted by others they must assimilate, learn English and everything will be alright. Look at the case of Walter Lara, he’s an “all-American” success story that other immigrants are expected to live up to. And if they can’t?

Success doesn’t equal happiness or health, however. A recent study shows that Latino youth who are taught to embrace their bi-cultural status, that is their Latinidad as well as their experiences living in the United States, make them happier, healthier, smarter and less likely to “do bad things”.

“We found teens who maintain strong ties to their Latino cultures perform better academically and adjust more easily socially,” Smokowski said. “When we repeated the survey a year later, for every 1-point increase in involvement in their Latino cultures, we saw a 13 percent rise in self-esteem and a 12 to 13 percent decrease in hopelessness, social problems and aggressive behavior.

“Also, the study showed parents who develop a strong bicultural perspective have teen children who are less likely to feel anxiety and face fewer social problems,” he said. “For every increase in a parent’s involvement in United States culture, we saw a 15 to 18 percent decrease in adolescent social problems, aggression and anxiety one year later. Parents who were more involved in U.S. culture were in a better position to proactively help their adolescents with peer relations, forming friendships and staying engaged in school. This decreases the chances of social problems arising.”

“Such results suggest that Latino youth and their parents benefit from biculturalism,” Smokowski said.

Via / Science Daily

Bilingual Education: The Debate Continues

10:52 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Bilingualism|Controversia|Education|society · 1 Comment

18 Jun 2009

MSNBC has an interesting piece on how increased immigration to formerly non-Latino areas of the country is affecting the educational landscape of public schools, and the contrast with areas of the country where English Only has succeeded in being instated and has subsequently failed students.

Have a look at the video and let us know what you think about this continuing debate. What’s best? Bilingual education? Immersion?

Via / MSNBC

April is National Poetry Month : El Reverendo Pedro Pietri

6:23 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Bilingualism|literature|Puerto Rico · 1 Comment

15 Apr 2009

No words can describe Pedro Pietri‘s work and his influence on many a poet, myself included. El padre of the Nuyorican poetry movement, political, funny and as Rican as they come.

The Oscar’s Spanish Language Moment

23 Feb 2009

Actually there was one Spanish language moment right before Penelope Cruz won for best supporting actress when Angelica Houston, who was charged with giving Pe her nomination tribute, finished off with a “Felicitaciones”.

“This is not going to be 45 seconds, I can say that right now. Has anybody ever fainted here? Because I might be the first one. Thank you so much to the Academy

I want to share this with my fellow nominees and with the amazing ensemble of actors that I had the privilege to work with in this movie. Thank you, Woody, for trusting me with this beautiful character.

Thank for you having written over all these years some of the greatest characters for women. And I cannot talk about great female characters without thanking my friend Pedro Almodóvar for having made me part of so many of his adventures. Thank you, Bigas Luna, Fernando Trueba, for giving me my first movies. Thank you, Harvey Weinstein. I wanted to dedicate this to my parents and to my brother and sister, to my friend Robert Carlo, who is not with us anymore, and to everyone who has helped me from the beginning and you know who you are and I thank you from my heart.

I grew up in a place called Alcobendas, where this was not a very realistic dream. And I, always on the night of the Academy Awards, I stay up to watch the show and I always felt that this was, this ceremony was a moment of unity for the world because art, in any form, is and has been and will always be our universal language and we should do everything we can, everything we can, to protect its survival.

So I thank you so much and I have to say something in Spanish, because everyone? Todos lo que, desde España, ahora están compartiendo éste momento conmigo, y sientan que esto también es de ellos, se los dedico, y a todos los actores de mi país. Muchisimas gracias. Thank you so much.”

Via / Lossip

The Oscars Have a Language Problem

7:00 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Bilingualism|language|Movies|TV · 4 Comments

23 Feb 2009

Gracias to all the twitter followers who watched the Oscars with us last night.

I’ll admit I haven’t seen most of the movies that were nominated and won. Ok, I’ve only seen one pero por lo menos that film saw an award with Penelope Cruz winning mejor supporting actress for her role in Vicky Christina Barcelona. That’s the closest there was to a Latino win (and yes I know Pe’s not Latina. She’s Spanish as in European). Pero Latino weren’t completely absent. I counted four musical references to West Side Story and after the Oscars there was a commercial for a new ABC show that used a racist Latino gang stereotype.

I was very bothered that neither The Garden nor Trouble the Water won for best documentary. That award went to a film about a French tightrope walker.

The Oscars seemed to have a problem with foreigners, especially ones with accents, especially POC. Yes, I know that Slumdog Millionaire won Best Picture. Pero the main awards went to the Brit production teams and the tech awards and musical awards going the actual Indians. I haven’t seen Slumdog pero white directed movies about non-white people always concern me, especially when the directors based the film on a book written by someone from Indian, and let’s not forget the fact that Great Britain colonized India. As I write this I am watching Jimmy Kimmel make references to the child actors from Slumdog Millionaire never acting and never being on sidewalks. And did Ryan Seacrest just hold up a paper with their names because he couldn’t read them?

Pero Hollywood loves POC, especially when they sing and dance. A.R Rahman’s performance complete with a quasi Bollywood dance number was met with much applause. Pero when POC spoke, especially when they spoke with an accent people thought it was hillarious. Take for example the Japanese winner for mejor foreign film Departures. The audience was laughing, not cuz there were jokes pero cuz the winner had an accent. I even saw some tweets on how director Yojiro Takita was screaming cuz no one could understand him.

So POC just keep singing and dancing, just don’t speak, especially if you have an accent.

Not English Only in Nashville

9:02 am By Maegan La Mala · Bilingualism|language · Comments Off

23 Jan 2009

Voters in Nashville made it clear that they do not speak English only. Yesterday a measure to make English the official language of all government business failed to pass. 57 percent of voters rejected the proposal. That is not a small margin. Seems that most voters agree with Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, who called the measure mean spirited.

Via / ABC News

Oklahoma Tries to go English Only

12:34 pm By Maegan La Mala · Bilingualism|Immigration|language|midwest · 3 Comments

15 Jan 2009

While so much of the U.S. is focusing on the change that a new presidential administration is supposed to bring, Oklahoma lawmakers are trying something old and tired: to pass English only legislation.

Three members of the Oklahoma House and a state senator said Wednesday they will attempt to send a proposed constitutional amendment to Oklahoma voters that would make English the state’s official language.

They say it would save taxpayer money by not requiring the state to print documents, such as driver’s license tests, in foreign languages. They also say it would help legal immigrants assimilate into American society.

That’s right. They are actually trying to help immigrants, only the legal ones.

Gracias Oklahoma.

Via / Hispanic Tips, KJRH

Monday Morning Musica : Offensive Version, Star Spanglish Banner

7:00 am By Maegan La Mala · Bilingualism|Immigration|Music|Politics|race · 1 Comment

29 Dec 2008

The offensive, racist song above comes to you thanks to the Republican Party off a gift cd from one Republican National Committee members to others. The cd includes other such gems like Barack the Magic Negro.

Via/ The Moderate Voice, NYT

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