Isn’t this a sad and pathetic reflection on those Europeans that came here to avoid persecution? It’s (mostly) white European immigrants who left their land and abandoned everything cultural about their history. They left their culture, their food, their history and their language. In Europe people can speak two, three, four and even more than four languages. What sad reflection that is on intelligence and pride and respect of others.
I am sickened that such ignorance promoting goes on in not allowing, in fact encouraging, others to speak more than one language. And why? Because the ignorant ones, the lazy ones, the self-conscious ones think that they are being talked about, laughed at, or put down. Ha! Who cares about anyone else when two people are communicating in another tongue?
This becomes more of the Manifest Destiny mentality and the Divide and Conquer mentality. Unfortunately those days are not over. Those who want one language, and there have been many proponents of the ‘English Only’ movement. Those who don’t want to hear anything but English spoken in this country. That is where things get messy. As a Chicano I have been made to feel ashamed of who I am and ashamed of my culture and people, ashamed of my history and my roots. Not going to happen anymore. I have come to realize that I come from a rich, proud and resilient people. I love who I am and I love learning, not just my own language but other languages. It gives me great pride when I am in public and I hear two people speaking German. I can respond to them back and yes, they are shocked to see a brown, indigenous person with Mexican background speaking their language.
Look at the San Patricio’s, those guys were fighting in the Mexican-American war, when they realized the Mexicans were fighting for a just cause they left the American side and went over to the Mexican side. Today we still have people with Irish European roots living proudly in Mexico and they speak Spanish and they are proud Mexican citizens. That is what our world should be about, people moving freely around the globe no matter what they speak.
It is sad that a country that speaks arrogantly about being one of the most powerful in the world. Powerful yes, stupido si! That is how they justify the ways of the errant. I say let’s all learn two, three, and four languages. Then we can not only boast of being powerful but smart. Viva la Raza!
Patricio Tlacaelel Trujillo y Fuentes
