Senate passes racist legislation that makes English the only language

[Sportsdude]

 [DIV class=headline]US Senate in wrangle over English [/DIV]The US Senate has voted in favour of making English the national language. The measure, backed by Republicans, came as an amendment to a controversial immigration bill currently going through the Senate.  Lawmakers voted by 63-34 in favour of the move, which calls on the government to "preserve and enhance the role of English as the national language".  But the Senate also approved a milder Democrat amendment describing English as the "common and unifying language".  [DIV class=bo] Neither of the bills would bar the use of Spanish or other languages in government services.  'Preserving our culture' The BBC's Emilio San Pedro, in Miami, says the issue of the preservation of the English language and American culture is for many at the heart of the immigration debate in the US.  Many Americans are concerned that the influx of immigrants from the Mexican border are altering the very fabric of American life, our correspondent says.  



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[TD width=5][/TD] [TD class=fact] [DIV class=sih]US ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS [/DIV][!--Smva--] [DIV class=bull]About 11.5m illegal immigrants in the US

[DIV class=bull]Four out of 10 have been in US five years or less

[DIV class=bull]75% were born in Latin America

[DIV class=bull]Most enter via southern US border

[DIV class=bull]California, Texas and Florida host most illegal immigrants

[DIV class=bull]Many work in agriculture, transport and construction [/DIV][!--Emva--][!--So--]
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[DIV class=bo] "This is not just about preserving our culture and heritage, but also about bettering the odds for our nation's newest potential citizens," said Oklahoma Republican James Inhofe, who sponsored the national language amendment.  Sen Inhofe said polls show around 80% of Americans would support a move to formalise English as the national language.  But critics fear the move could lead to discrimination against people who are not proficient in English.  "Although the intent may not be there, I really believe this amendment is racist," said Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid. "I believe it is directed at people who speak Spanish."  Both amendments will be included in the bill that the Senate sends to the House of Representatives, where the differences will need to be reconciled.  President Bush, during a visit to Arizona to promote his immigration reform package, did not specifically endorse the move but stressed the need for unity.  "Americans are bound together by shared ideals and appreciation of our history, of respect for our flag and ability to speak the English language," he said.  Mr Bush has proposed tightening border security while giving many existing illegal immigrants the right to stay. Many Republicans say the plan is too soft, arguing that illegal immigration should be criminalised, while Central American states have attacked the US proposal to build hundreds of kilometres of fencing along its border.

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[Sportsdude]

"This is not just about preserving our culture and heritage, but also about bettering the odds for our nation's newest potential citizens," said Oklahoma Republican James Inhofe, who sponsored the national language amendment. "

  I'd like to point out this fool was elected in Oklahoma because he ran on a platform to rid "All the lesbian teachers in elementary school."

    I've said many times that if Latin American were white and spoke english we wouldn't be having this debate.

[tenkani]

Maybe it's just me, but I'm not sure what your primary point is here.

It's racist to encourage all immigrants to become proficient in English?

Is it racist to argue that if you are unable to communicate in the predominant language your options are severaly limited and you essentially segregate yourself from the country in general?

  Maybe it's just because I live near several large hispanic communities, but I obviously see this thing differently than you do. To me this issue is not about racism. If there was a German community near mine and many of them chose not to learn English but instead demand instruction and government services in German I would feel the same way.

  I was trapped in a nearby town about a year ago. Stranded. I called two cab companies. NO ONE at either location spoke English. I called a third cab company and the only thing they understood was the address. The cab pulls up and the driver doesn't speak A WORD of English. He dropped me off at the wrong destination but at that point I just said f*ck it and walked the rest of the way.

  There are a large numbert of immigrants in my area who have made the choice to create their own cultural outposts. They demand the privilages of citizenship (which is fine, provided that they're citizens) but have no interest in interacting with the larger community. It's pretty hard to build bridges and form relationships with people if you don't bother to learn their language. These are the same kind of people who show up to demonstrations that are ostensibly meant to encourage other Americans to accept them as a valuable part of our country (which they are), but they show up waving Mexican flags.

  Before you lump me into the anti-immigrant camp, I should say that my views on immigration do not meld well with any established political party. This post is already too long, but suffice it to say that I am fully aware of the historical context of the situation, including the fact that my state was illegally seized from the nation of Mexico, so I hold no illusions about our "right" to be here.

  EDIT>> P.S. I love you sportsdude so don't take it personally pls    

[Sportsdude]

No big deal I'm just saying what the senate did will cause a chain of events that in the future will lead to bi-lingualism.  I understand what you are saying but you also make my point that the growing population is hispanic and they are proud people etc, etc.  And to put legislation that says you can't not recieve any federal support in any language BUT English is going to start the wheels in motion towards federal bi-lingualism.  Then a senator from Tennessee said English is our cultural 'identity' which could be true but it also isn't. Consider that California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado and Texas where all started by SPANISH SPEAKERS and Louisiana, Saint Louis and St. Genevieve (missouri) and Florida were all started by FRENCH Speakers. Pennsylvannia was GERMAN.  The fact is that this has always been a multi-cultural multi-lingual country and to not respect that which is in our historical and social fabric is wrong.

[tenkani]

Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado and Texas where all started by SPANISH SPEAKERS and Louisiana, Saint Louis and St. Genevieve (missouri) and Florida were all started by FRENCH Speakers. Pennsylvannia was GERMAN.  The fact is that this has always been a multi-cultural multi-lingual country and to not respect that which is in our historical and social fabric is wrong.

  The difference being that those of French and German ancestry have almost without exception learned to speak English. Learning to speak English does not necessitate giving up your own culture. No one that I've heard has been demanding that immigrants stop speaking their native tongue. They are making the point that in order to function as a part of this nation (as opposed to being a seperate entity within the larger organism), it's important to have the capability to communicate with the rest of the nation.

  Multi-culturalism means having respect for other cultures within the prevailing American culture. I have a lot of respect, for instance, for people who are bi-lingual. Speaking a language in addition to the common language only INCREASES your ability to communicate and build bridges.

  Speaking that language and ONLY that language only divides you from the larger community.

  I have run into so many people down here who can't even communicate basic concepts in English. Shouldn't that be a prerequisite for citizenship? Can you truly be a citizen when you can't even make yourself understood to 90% of those around you and so your solution becomes to surround yourself with others who speak only your native tongue?

[Sportsdude(logged out)]

 "No one that I've heard has been demanding that immigrants stop speaking their native tongue."

  Sorry to start a conflict but that is a lie. The German community was forced to speak English by the government after World War I and World War II because everyone was afraid of them.  The German communities in the country only spoke German up til WW2 then they were forced to learn english.  My Hungarian - German grandmother from Ohio only spoke German until the 60's along with her entire family (hundreds other) who had been in America since the turn of the century. My Uncle was born after the war grew up on German had to take ESL in elementary school.  He was born here.

  My other Grandma who grew up in Southern Illinois was the last generation to speak German because after WW1 the feds came in and got rid of all the german services and german schools (which only taught in german).  These communities which ranged in the thousands across the midwest only spoke german.  When the German POW's were captured they came to the 'german speaking' midwest.  

  Now that ENTIRE culture is gone. Never to come back again.  

[Lise]

Fact is English is on the verge of wiping out most of the languages in this world. We should strive to preserve what other languages that are left. In Australia, there is a race to record the last remaining spoken Aboriginal language (only a few members are alive). English, though widely spoken, is the cause of much erosion in today's languages.

  However, there are some languages that have adapted to accept the English language. (think slang Gaelic) In some instances, the language of the Jews - Hebrew - was revived by the Jewish community through many programs.

  Anyways, my two cents.  

[Dissident]

 Sportsdude wrote:

I've said many times that if Latin American were white and spoke english we wouldn't be having this debate.

Ha.  As a white, well-educated, native-English-speaking immigrant in Canada I take issue with that statement.  If you don't believe me, go to DV and ask them how they feel about immigrants (legal or otherwise) from the US.
 

[Moolah!]

[A onclick="addImg('icon/icon_smile_cool.gif')" href="jvascript:void(0)"][/A] Hola, que pasa amigos?

  Alguien me puede traducir de que se trata esta discusion? [A onclick="addImg('icon/icon_smile_big.gif')" href="jvascript:void(0)"][/A]

[Sportsdude]

I think the people on DV are just trolls or closed minded torries that don't get out much.  America has a history of this except when it came to illegals or what not they were usually treated almost slave like. But the whites are only getting pissed now because Hispanics are rising in the work force. If you look at the history of the U.S. the Chinese built the West, Germans built the Midwest, Hispanic/Mexicans built the Southwest and Irish and Italians built the Northeast.

[Dissident]

 Sportsdude wrote:
I think the people on DV are just trolls or closed minded torries that don't get out much.  


Have you checked out some of their threads on Afghanistan lately?  One regular poster repeatedly told me to "stfu" if I'm American, that I have no right to comment on a Canadian issue--even though I agreed with their opposition to the government's recent decision to prolong the campaign.  I'm also basing my opinion on my personal experience of having lived in Vancouver for the past four years.

You have a point in what you say about Americans.  I was married to a white European national who was part of a large expatriate community that was largely illegal and comfortable in their acceptability to the general population (as well as their decresed risk of deportation).

However, I've seen even worse xenophobia here in Canada and much more open racism, sexism and homophobia than that to which I was accustomed in the US.  As far as white English speakers go, I don't think that anti-immigrant sentiment is restricted to Americans, but we certainly do feel the brunt of it--whereas the idea that a large segment of Americans would oppose immigration from Canada is so laughable that it has been the basis of satire by the likes of Stewart and Colbert in recent commentary on immigration reform.

 

[Sportsdude]

The only open racism I know of is in Quebec but I think I top everyone since I live in a de facto segregated community.  I work at night in the 'white' part of town and if there is a black person walking around they will get stopped by the cops.  I don't know how the cops do it but the only people I see pulled over at night are african americans.  Its so bad I think the teach racial profiling at the academy.

[Dissident]

OK, I looked at your profile and see where you are.  Thanks to your pic and the fact that there are so many BCers on DS, I was under the impression that you might be here in BC.

I've never had the opportunity to stop for more than a tank of gas in your fair city, so I don't know it very well  (though being from the Bay Area I'm a big Tony LaRussa fan).  I've spent enough time in the rural Deep South to have an idea of what you're talking about.

Canadian racism and racial hypocrisy express themselves in different ways than their American counterparts, so it's harder to recognise if you don't live here.  Certainly their treatment of even legal immigrants generally leaves a lot to be desired.  In another thread on this forum, in answer to a query about the differences between the two countries' health care systems, I jokingly added something to the effect of "and all the medical professionals from East Asia, the subcontinent, Africa and Eastern Europe who weren't interested in driving cabs in Canada are now practising successfully in the US."  I don't know if your job entails working night shift in a hospital, but I've done that in Cali, so I can vouch for my statement.  

Canada never had nor did it ever see a need for Affirmative Action, and the institutionalised discrimination against professionals of colour lured to the country through the "Skilled Worker" immigration class it really unconscionable when you look at how well people with identical credentials are doing in the US.  Between professional boards keeping up their cloistered "old boy" system intact and employers using a lack of "Canadian experience" as a pretext to deny jobs to immigrants there is essentially institutionalised racism here.

If any of the Canadian posters on DS read this, I'm sure they will hasten to disagree with me, but I can pass on an anecdote that supports my contention.  A few years back, I met an American woman who was here in Vancouver visiting a friend.  The two of them were running some errands and, in the process of sorting out some business in one office, the white Canadian business owner was so impressed by the American's presence and articulateness that he offered her a job.  As she was white, didn't have a discernible accent and was over college age, the guy just assumed that she had plenty of "Canadian experience".  I wonder if he ever turned away, say, a qualified UK-raised and -educated Sri Lankan or West Indian applicant, using the lack of Canadian job experience as an excuse.

Canadians also talk about how much easier it is to immigrate to Canada than to the US.  Having dealt with both the INS and Canadian Immigration authorities, I could tell them otherwise--but they don't want to hear it, it would burst their bubble.