Babble

I see a lot of bitching about English being the only language that should be spoken in public. Invariably it comes from right-wingers. I'm late to the party with this, so bear with me.

The most common complaint seems to be the "press one for English" scenario. I'm on the phone at least six or seven times a month with somebody's customer service. I have yet to hear an IVR say that to me. Most of the time there is a Spanish greeting that tells you to press five (for example) to continue in Spanish. The sound bite propaganda is compelling. Why should I have to make extra effort to use my native language in a country where English has been the native language since its birth? The trouble is, it's simply not true. The IVR that makes you put forth the extra effort is a myth.

More often lately, I'm hearing complaints about people using other languages than English when speaking on a cell phone or in private conversations in a public place. I would bet real money that these are the same people who complain about not being able to smoke in bars and restaurants. Is it that the person complaining is so nosy that a non-English conversation is frustrating? Even worse, is it the case that something about languages other than English causes this person emotional discomfort? Why are you involving yourself in this person's private communications? Mind you own business.

This kind of crap plays to the lowest common denominator of populism. It's not just the right, either. I saw some nonsense about the author of America The Beautiful being a lesbian who broke with the Republican party over xenophobia. Not quite, guys. Katherine Lee Bates was a self-described "free-spirited spinster." In 1913, lesbians weren't exactly flocking out of the closet, but it is stereotypical to label her a lesbian. The left hates stereotypes. You can just feel the irony. Also, she broke with the Republicans over their objections to the US joining the League of Nations. Their objections then are the same as their objections to the UN today: sovereignty. Nice try.

Of course, the propaganda sound bite above was in response to the negative reaction by many to America The Beautiful begin sung in seven different languages in a Coca-Cola Super Bowl ad. The people reacting negatively made idiots of themselves by arguing that the national anthem should only be sung in English. Oops. America The Beautiful is not the national anthem. I hope everyone reading this already knew that. Anyway, I think Ms. Bates would have been honored to have her poem translated into seven different languages.

Germany had a gastarbeiter, or "guest worker" program in the 1960s and 1970s. Foreigners could come to Germany to work, mostly menial labor. Part of the program included a requirement that they learn to speak hochdeustch, or high German within some period of time, three years I think, or they risked being deported. Some would point to that and say that we should have a similar requirement here. There's a problem with that. Forcing someone to learn a language doesn't mean that they will use it. The Chinese lady in line at WalMart will still speak Cantonese into her cell phone. IVRs will still allow for Spanish, even though the people using them can speak English.

The option to use another language in public doesn't force an English speaker to deal with that language. There is no "should" associated with Americans speaking English. My paternal ancestors came here from Alsace Lorraine speaking nothing but German. There is nothing to suggest that my great-great-grandfather ever spoke anything but German. Had he been ejected for his failure to speak English, I would not be here. Me, a middle class, white, English speaking American citizen, would probably never have been born.

America is not now, nor has it ever been a homogeneous culture speaking a single language. Deal with it.