Language as a Barrier?
He took his seat on the light rail, and started talking to one of his family members on his cellular. Perhaps his wife needed him to get something on the way home. The Anglo woman sitting nearby was obviously uncomfortable that he chose a seat near her and said so, when she with great ceremony got up to move.
His offense. He was Hispanic. Then to make matters worse, he spoke to his wife in Spanish, the language of their birth, the language of their courtship, the language of their wedding vows, the language which they would pass down to their children as a birthright.
“Doesn’t anybody around here speak English anymore?” she shouted as she moved.
Imagine. In this land of freedom one is not to speak his or her native language, unless of course, it is English.
In this land of the free a family should practice cultural and linguistic amnesia and teach their children that all life experiences, their very identity in fact, was somehow rendered defective as soon as they crossed the border.
English is the language of the land and not only should people speak it, but should speak it exclusively. At least that is the sentiment that I keep hearing.
So let’s be honest. If that is what we really feel, let’s just come out and say it. Enough of this cultural bigotry hidden within the cloak of political correctness. Let’s just say it.
These people are different than me, have a different language, a different culture, a different history, and therefore I am going to be about as hateful to them as the law allows.
Let’s just admit that it’s not enough that they be bilingual, only speaking their first language at home and with friends of common ancestry. No that’s just not enough. They are Hispanic – Spanish speaking, and we are offended when they speak that language that we have learned to hate.
Let’s quit using fears associated with 9-11, or Mexican drug cartels, or even the alleged desire to have only “legal” immigrants in our country. That is not the issue. The real truth is that we have conjured up some bizarre form of “holy hatred” against these people. We need someone to blame, and they are elected.
After all it’s time to take our country back from all those …
I think you get the point.

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