VivirLatino

Recent controversy around the translation of the National Anthem into Spanish has spurred some experts in Texas to look to history to tell us about the Anthem’s past. Turns out it had already been translated into Spanish (and other languages) nearly 100 years ago, and that version caused no public outcry. Indeed, it was actually commissioned by the U.S. government:

President Bush has spoken out against the translated version of the national anthem, saying it should be sung in English only. If so, that’s actually a break with American tradition, says Walter Kamphoefner, a history professor at Texas A&M University.

The Library of Congress archives dozens of versions of the anthem, including a couple in German and a Spanish translation commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education in 1912.

Perhaps naysayers should have protested the fact that it was recorded by Reggaeton performers instead. Actually, that argument wouldn’t hold water since the anthem is regularly performed at public events in variety of genres.

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