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EYE ON EUROPE |
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Penelope Cruz? Yes.
Spanish language? No!
of TheColumnists.com
For years, I have been hearing that the German language came within a vote or two of being adopted by Congress as the American national language in the early days of the republic. This old canard makes good dinner party chitchat but it simply isn’t true. English was always the dominant American language, and by a huge margin.
So if the language question was settled decisively more than 200 years ago, why is a headline in the International Herald Tribune grabbing our attention by stating: “Senate supports English as a U.S. national language”? You want to respond “Uh, Duh.”
What’s going on? I live in France but not in the French bubble. I try to keep up with international events and debates. But I was unaware that the Senate was even talking about such a basic issue--one that, by rights, should not be up for debate.
(Incidentally, it is true that the German language was proposed in 1794 for a small press run of certain laws and regulations, but never as a replacement for English. A thriving German colony was based in northern Virginia and wanted to understand the law. The proposal went to a House committee for consideration and died there. The Germans had to learn English.)
Now it’s Spanish that wants our attention. Reading about the flood of illegal Latin American immigrants is not news, even for Europeans. I knew there was trouble on the border and that the National Guard was being mobilized, but Rummy’s public reassurances made me feel good about that. He has such a gift for calming fears.
Anyway I have nothing against Mexicans. Some of my best girlfriends in the early days were dark-eyed Mexicans and Spaniards. Even today I can hardly sit still when Penelope Cruz pops up on my TV screen, as she has been doing quite a lot lately in coverage of the Cannes Film Festival.
Where Americans will take a firm stand if they have any sense is in keeping English as the “national language” and as a requirement for citizenship. A multilingual country means a fragmented country. Look at Belgium, where half the country (French-speaking) sneers at the other half (Flemish-speaking) without caring that they won’t be understood. Periodically the tension erupts in the streets.
Like everyone else, I have noticed the creeping presence of the Spanish language in U.S. life. Even at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner the George Bush lookalike got off a comment about Laura being “muy caliente”. And you can’t call into a business in California or Florida without getting a recorded phone message in Spanish before English. This is a worrying trend.
I am glad to see that some Democrats want to make a statement establishing English as the “common and unifying” American language. The Republican preference for the term “national language” is even better, going on to state that no group would have “a right, entitlement or claim to have the government of the United States or any of its officials or representatives act, or communicate, perform or provide services or provide materials in any language other than English.” (Maybe Congressmen and their legal advisers should also be required to work on their English.)
The language issue will be defined in the new immigration law, and the exact choice of words will be negotiated between the two parties before being passed.
Other countries have faced down language rivalries and successfully required assimilation. When I applied for a French passport last year I submitted to an oral test with the Deputy French Consul in London. It was made to seem a friendly chat about bad English weather and bad English cuisine, but I took special care with my verbs and adjectives. Behind the smiles lurked the possibility of being refused. I managed to pass, and was given a letter signed by Jacques Chirac congratulating me.
Now France is getting tougher. A new immigration law passed a few weeks ago by the National Assembly is designed to confront pressures similar to those on the U.S. border. It is far clearer than the equivocations coming out of Washington. Now entry will be refused unless an applicant can prove he or she brings skills or expertise that the French economy can use.
Imagine the human rights uproar this would create in the United States. Vive la differénce.
©2006 by Michael Johnson. The illustration
is from IMSI's Master Clips Collection, 1895 Francisco Blvd.
E., San Rafael, CA, 94901-5506, USA. This column first posted
May 29, 2006.
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