Wow, it has been a minute and a half since I've posted on this blog. My viewer count has gone so far downhill, it's in the Edwards Aquifer. But, no matter! I'm back and I'm ready to write, and offer my commentary on more issues that I'm seeing in Texas that - for lack of better terminology - really chap my hide.
First of all, I want you to know that my political views have shifted drastically. I am a proud advocate for social justice, no matter what race or ethnicity or religion or gender or orientation you are. Also, the protection of the environment is at the top of my list of priorities. Now that we have that out of the way, I would kindly direct any and all triggered MAGA dudes and dudettes to the little X in the top right corner of the screen (or left, if you're on a Mac). However, if you can handle civil posts that disagree with your point of view without raving like a rabid dog, then you are more than welcome to stay and broaden your perspective. I did just that, and look what happened. Change is not easy, but it is good, to paraphrase a quote from one of my favorite Disney movies (bonus points if you get the reference). Okay, on to the primary topic of this particular post. I want to say it loud and clear for everyone in the back - the United States has no official language on the federal level, nor has it ever. Granted, many states do mark it so as English, but in terms of the entire country, there is no official language. Having said that, it bothers the hell out of me every time I hear someone - usually white and usually conservative - going off on some poor woman or man just going about their daily business only because they *gasp* heard them speaking another language! Oh, the horror! What could they possibly be conspiring? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And if you learned a new language or two, you would know this. It sickens me when I see this, especially in my own Latina family! There are members of my family whom I shall not specify that rail against people speaking Spanish in public, despite the fact that they are Hispanic themselves. One particular relative was forced to act white, speak English, and even scrub their skin free of the "dirt" (i.e. their dark skin), so in a sense, I can understand where they are coming from, but it does not give them an excuse to vilify those who did not endure that unfortunate upbringing. On another note, I am furious when Mexicans and other Central and South Americans are singled out and hated because they speak Spanish, but when an actual Spaniard or even a Uruguayan or Argentinian speaks it, it's "exotic" and "beautiful". Can you take a gander as to why? I'll give you a hint - it rhymes with "right", which is what many view this particular characteristic as and what many who possess this characteristic identify themselves as on the political spectrum. And I don't just see this with Spanish-speaking people, albeit that is what I am most familiar with growing up in South Texas. When a Chinese or a Vietnamese person speaks their language, the response of many is to wonder, "What are they hiding? Why can't they just speak English? Why don't they want anyone else to understand what they're saying?" But if they hear a language such as Korean or Japanese, it's usually a callback to the Uruguayan and Argentinian examples I presented earlier. I'm going to pose you a serious question. Obviously, if you relocated to a foreign country, you would make an effort to learn the endemic language, but it would be almost insurmountably difficult for many adults, especially if the language in question differs vastly from English. Would you not rejoice and feel more comfortable if you found someone else who spoke your native tongue, and converse in the like, despite others not understanding what you are saying? I doubt you would even care, mostly because of your opinions on English as the "lingua franca" (which it is soon poised not to be as China begins to greatly expand its economy), but also because it is not that big of a deal. Nobody would give two shits what language you're speaking, just as you shouldn't when you hear a foreign language in the United States. It doesn't matter if it's Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, whatever. Until you have seen enough of that particular person to decidedly make a sound judgment on their character, you should not even blink in the presence of their language. If anything, you should relish hearing it and all it's beautiful notes and melodic aspects so different from English. We were all taught growing up that the United States is a melting pot. Whether it's a soup or a tossed salad is up for debate, but everyone touts this philosophy of God-blessed America. It's time for you to follow it. We are a nation founded on immigration, and there is no reason to cease it now.
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AuthorMy name is Dani Slaughter. I am a university student from San Antonio, musing about what I see and how I see it. Archives
October 2020
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