Jan 21 2008
En Español
Our school has created a parent portal, allows us, well, to see our children’s attendance/schedules/reports, etc. A great effort. I looked up their state test results, immunization records, .. then I saw on the lower left corner,
en - In English
es - En Español.
Wait a second, the demography of our school (according to the School Report Card issued for middle school, April 2003) is 69% white, 21% Asian, 4% African-American and 6% Hispanic. And I thought about phone greetings from companies around country, never fails that it would offer you either in English or Spanish. Didn’t Richard Nixon advised a young Rumsfeld in 1971, which part of the world to avoid if he wanted a brilliant career: “Latin America doesn’t matter. People don’t give a damn about Latin America now.” Ok, it’s so yesterdecades, but still, why would this country to entertain dual languages? Mustn’t I endure the assult every time I pick up the receiver to call someone or answering a call from some companies .. press 1 for English and prensa 2 para el español? I don’t speak Spanish and have no desire nor time to learn it any time soon. The voting power? I’m making a huge fool out of myself every time I mutter a English word or sentence, with the heavy accent and lousy grammar. (Look, if Irene can learn a little English, so can everyone else, no biggie, it’s pretty easy. Okaaay?) But I do not think I have the right to demand making Chinese as the bi language. Don’t I wish that Chinese be made the alternative language of the USA? Hack yes, that’s one billion+ strong voice.