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Posts Tagged ‘english only’

English Only as Support for Arizona’s SB1070

7:09 pm By Maegan La Mala · Illinois|language · 4 Comments

17 Jul 2010

While some cities and states are writing copycat laws to show their support for Arizona’s SB1070, which goes into effect in less than two weeks, some towns are using English first/English only legislation to promote anti-immigrant nativism.

The bustling township of Homer, Illinois, population 30,000, with 12 percent Latinos, passed a resolution last week making English it’s official language. They have never had an issue with immigration and all of the town’s official documents have always been printed in one language, English. The resolution was passed without opposition as a way to show support for Arizona’s SB1070 and like laws.

“We recognize Native Americans had the first language in our Country, followed by Western European dialects, with English eventually becoming dominant,” the resolution reads in part. “The Homer Township Board supports actions to enforce existing Immigration law, enforce residency requirements in our school districts, and acknowledge that English the dominant language of Homer Township.”

Teaching That Only English Speaking Parents and Students Are Important in Schools

7:19 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Immigration|language|North Carolina · 5 Comments

12 Feb 2010

When my daughter was in elementary school in the public school system of NYC, I spent alot of time trying to create equal access to information for Spanish speaking immigrant families. Despite NYC being an “immigrant” city, there is no standardized system of making sure that all parents, regardless of their home language get information that they can understand in order to support their child’s education and participate in the school community. Parent/teacher conferences were interpreted by children and school notices and meetings went home in English only. It was a struggle. Imagine what it is like in communities already less immigrant friendly. A recent incident in North Carolina doesn’t require our imaginations.

Ana Ligia Mateo, a former secretary at a Devonshire Elementary in North Carolina, was hired as a bilingual secretary — which makes sense, since nearly half of the school’s student population is Hispanic, and many come from homes where English is not their first language. But in 2008, a new principal instituted a policy barring faculty or staff from speaking Spanish to parents. The policy seems to be motivated solely by anti-immigrant sentiment and racism. Yet Mateo was a constant rule-breaker. When distraught or concerned parents with a language barrier came to the school, she couldn’t always bring herself to refuse to answer questions or translate so that they could understand. So she was fired.

Racist Right Doesn’t Know How to Spell

6:15 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Controversia|Funny|language|Politics|race · Comments Off

23 Jun 2009

…in English. From Think Progress, this is hilarious.

buchanan

These fools were at a “conferenece” (!) arguing for English Only, spelling the word “conference” como el culo and using Sonia Sotomayor as the central figure for their ignorant rhetoric:

PAT BUCHANAN: Judge Sotomayor is up there at school in New York, she gets a scholarship to Princeton, she’s graduated with all these big honors and awards they said she never won. What’s she doing there in the summer? They said her adviser told her to read children’s classics so she can learn English better. How do you graduate number one in Princeton if you’re in the summer and you’re reading Rumpelstiltskin and Snow White? [laughter] [...]

Yeah…”so she can learn English better”… What tense are we speaking in? Nice grammar on you, too, Pat!

That’s a segue into a delusional rant about how Obama is out to make everyone speak Spanish:

PETER BRIMELOW: I really do recommend the language issue because you know that polls better than immigration and affirmative action. Eighty-five percent of Americans say they would favor official language policy. The wonderful thing about this issue if you look at what’s going to actually happen here is you’re going to find that the Obama administration is going to gradually institute institutional bilingualism in the country. It’s going to be required to speak Spanish in key positions, the police force and so on. This is a direct attack on the American working class because they are not going to be bilingual.

Right. Because Obama himself speaks Spanish so well.

WHAT. THE. F***?!

This is what we call in Spanish patadas de ahogado. The Republicans are giving up the ghost.

Via / Think Progress and Hispanic Tips (Thanks Tomás)

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

For a Growing Number of Latinos It’s Not Spanish Only

1:29 pm By Maegan La Mala · Immigration|language · 2 Comments

9 Dec 2008

One of the ways that nativists in the U.S. spread fear about immigration and Latinos is buy talking up the point of the loss of English and other so-called cultural markers that allegedly make the country what it is. More and more however, this myth is being countered demonstrating that the anti-immigrant movement has less to do with “national pride” and more to do with racism.

More Spanish speakers are speaking English very well despite a steady influx of immigrants this decade — a sign that they are blending in at least linguistically, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Census data released Tuesday.

The drop in the percentage who struggle with English is most noticeable in some of the largest counties and cities that have attracted immigrants for decades.

So once we speak “your language”, we’ll be more acceptable right? We’ll fit in more and won’t seem so “other”, verdad? Latinos, like myself, who have always spoken English know that this goes way beyond language.

Via / Hispanic Tips and USA Today

But But But…what’s wrong with making a movie about Mexican Chihuahuas??

2:07 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Movies · 3 Comments

17 Oct 2008

Of course, in writing about the complex feelings and confusions that the movie Beverly Hills Chihuahua brings up in me, I must be challenged by local lovers of chihuahuas. How on earth could I possibly write such hateful and horrible rhetoric onto the purely innocent puppy dog–especially when said puppy dog has no greater ambition than to make innocent school children as happy as can be?

How could I?

Maybe this is how?
Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t hyper sensitive Latinos that created Latino=dog imagery, but politicians that are hell bent on playing on fear and difference to get elected?

“They are distorting the facts and ridiculing the Hispanic community,” said Brent Wilkes, executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens. “It’s a shameful piece. It really is gutter politics.”

Carrie Cantrell, a spokeswoman for The Republican State Leadership Committee, an Alexandria, Va.-based political organization that works to elect down-ticket Republicans in state races, said she appreciates the groups’ opinion, but that the ad was simply a parody of a well-known popular culture reference, a Chihuahua once used in Taco Bell advertising.

She did not apologize.

Oh, look at that–popular culture used and manipulated to make a racist point? How unuuuuusual.

Anti-Immigrant Forces Don’t Espeak English So Well

2:30 pm By Maegan La Mala · Funny|Immigration|language · Comments Off

12 Aug 2008

Ay, the anti-immigrant forces. When they aren’t pissing us off with telling us to go back where we came from, they are always good for a laugh.

Any nativist will tell you that polls show 1,000% of ‘Mericans support speaking only English in the United States of America. It doesn’t matter if the U.S. can’t even understand the languages of the countries it goes to war with (you don’t need to understand people to shoot at them). If people can’t speak English like they’re supposed to, they’re not real ‘Mericans.

Using this iron-clad logic, I thought I’d compile a list of five English lessons for those that want to learn to how to be a real ‘Merican and speak English.”

To see the lessons go to The Sanctuary.

Via / Culture Kitchen

English Only Please at Graduations

4:15 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · language · 2 Comments

7 Jul 2008

Imagine your parents are immigrants to the United States (not a stretch for many of us). Through their sacrifices (and some of your own, no doubt), you graduate high school at the top of your class. At graduation during your valedictorian speech, you give a shout out, in your family’s native language. Now the school district wants to make a policy so that all future speeches are English-only. This is what happened to two students in Louisiana.

Here’s what one school board member told the Associated Press: ”’I don’t like them addressing in a foreign language. They should be in English.”’

According to the article, it sounds like Cindy, 18, said a sentence or so in Vietnamese–and then translated it for the wider audience. I know that if I were sitting in the audience, and say, it was my son, I would be damn proud–probably crying–to hear him say something in Vietnamese or Chinese.

Here’s Cindy’s point of view, according to the AP:

‘Ms. Vo said her statement in Vietnamese was aimed at her parents, who do not speak fluent English. “Out of the whole speech, it’s one sentence dedicated to them to give thanks,” she said. “Mine was personal and general for the entire Vietnamese community and something I wanted to share with graduates.”’

She made it very clear–her parents do not speak fluent English, and this was in a way, a tribute to her parents.

My Bilingual Kids Are Smarter Than Your English Only Kids!

10:27 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Bilingualism|Education|language · Comments Off

24 Apr 2008

Nanny, nanny boo boo. The fact that I speak English and Spanish to my children is actually boosting their English language skills, according to one article.

“Speaking two languages opens up a whole new world to children,” says Laurie Weaver, Ed.D., Associate Professor of Bilingual and Multicultural Studies at University of Houston-Clear Lake. “Not only will they be better prepared to understand others, they will also understand themselves and their own language better.”
Weaver is one of many parents who believes in the value of their children speaking two languages. Research has shown that kids who are routinely exposed to a second language from an early age, consistently score higher on English tests as an older child. Apparently learning a second language not only makes you bilingual, it also increases English proficiency.

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