The Hispanicization of America
By Doug Edelman (08/17/06)
To give credit where credit is due, the inspiration and impetus for this article came from Dave Glover - an afternoon Drive-Time radio personality who provides me with my oasis of amusement in the midst of my otherwise overly-serious weekdays.
He commented about "Dora the Explorer"… a seemingly educational and innocuous child's cartoon – to the effect that it seemed every episode had a character – critical to Dora's achieving the episode's goal – who could only be actualized by Dora's ability to speak Spanish!
His point was not to complain that the cartoon tried to "round" children's education by providing them some exposure to foreign language… but rather that somehow the only way to achieve your goal was to be able to speak Spanish, and that if you couldn't – "You're boofed!" – and this he found annoying. He coined the phrase used as the title of this piece – "The Hispanicization of America." It was this that he took offense to.
His point, (and mine too!) is not to rag on Dora the Explorer. However a vital subject has thus been broached! The reconquistadores invading our land ARE achieving one of their goals. They are deliberately failing to assimilate into AMERICAN culture and thereby forcing our culture to adapt to a duality of language and culture. Bi-Lingualism is becoming pervasive.
Where once the debate over language was confined to bilingual education in the schools, it has exploded all over our landscape.
Call any major corporation's customer service line. Be prepared to press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish.
Going to vote for elected representatives, you'll find ballots printed in multiple languages! People who can't speak English well enough to vote on an English only ballot are casting votes for people who are supposed to represent us!
Walk into a MacDonalds and see posted signs in English AND Spanish… even in neighborhoods where there are few people who speak Spanish even as a second language, let along their only one!
And my personal pet peave – products whose packaging is printed in multiple languages. You can't buy a bottle of anything that will wind up on that hanging rack in your shower that is printed in English only, yet these products are manufactured for sale in the UNITED STATES.
Joe Vento of Geno's Steaks in Philly got headlines (and threats!) for his insistence that patrons order in ENGLISH. Hey, Joe: You got it right!!! This IS America. We speak ENGLISH here.
I think from now on, when you call MY phone you'll hear, "For English, stand by. Otherwise, hang up and call back when you learn to speak English!
Copyright © 2006 by Doug Edelman
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