See No Evil, Speak No Spanish

By Cindy Gomez
Editor

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, famous for state budget cuts that left thousands without healthcare, now proposes something else Minnesota doesn’t need—an official language.

About half of the states have declared English as their “official” language. Really? Is there anyone in America confused about what country we are living in? Don’t be fooled readers, there is something far more sinister behind this “English-Only” movement, and it is nothing new.

After the Louisiana purchase and Mexican-American war, the US embraced dual languages. But with immigrant expansion and growth, US sentiments toward different languages (and the people who spoke them) changed. We recognize now that those sentiments were racist. But what about this movement occurring right under our noses?

The most recent wave of the English-only (read “anti-Immigrant”) movement began in the 80s when xenophobe Dr. John Tanton began spreading anti-Hispanic drivel across the country. Tanton targeted mainstream Americans with such patriotic- and palatable-sounding groups as “U.S. English”, “Pro-English”, “Zero Population Growth”, “Numbers USA” and the infamous “Federation for American Immigration Reform” (FAIR)—which has been designated as a “hate-group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center.  Tanton’s groups are also responsible for the Arizona SB 1070-type bills all over the country.

Tanton, an opthalmologist turned eugenics freak, is the founder of these political lobbying groups which all promote the idea of expunging brown people from America. He has publicly stated his fears that Latinos will outbreed whites. So bold and blatantly racist is Tanton, that he was the subject of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s 2009 report that tied his anti-immigrant “work” and organizations to white supremacists, neo-nazis, and eugenics leaders.

Now Tanton’s message of hate is taking hold in Minnesota. It was Tanton’s group, “Pro-English” that wrote the “English-Only” ordinance recently passed in Lino Lakes, Minn. There, the city council defended its actions (and the ties to the white supremacist group) by claiming ignorance and arguing cost savings for the city. But the numbers just don’t add up. St. Paul, with a population of 280,000, spent less than four grand on translating and deaf services combined!  Lino Lakes, population 19,000, makes an argument laughable at best, lame and racist at worst.

So why on earth would Tim Pawlenty jump on this Klan-wagon and drum up support for a man like Tanton and his racist ideas by promoting an “English-Only” law state-wide?  Well, historically, “English-Only” language movements have taken place during times of turmoil and hatred of other nationalities. These movements are canaries in the coal mine, red flags that a new wave of hatred is headed our way. Saving money and eliminating confusion are red-herring arguments attempting to cover up the true agenda—which is making non-English speakers feel unwelcome and unwanted.

Pawlenty’s race-baiting “English-Only” law will stir up hatred in Minnesota. It may help get him greater visibility as a politician, but it will not dampen the spirit of immigrants. They have a knack for adapting, learning, and prospering. It is, after all, how America was founded.

What Pawlenty does not anticipate are the unintended consequences of such a law.  He should remember that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. Non-English speakers will undoubtedly feel the sting of these increased racist attacks. But, they will also be forced to learn English faster and assimilate more quickly. 

Once new immigrants have language skills to go along with their dogged determination they will be better informed, more politically involved, and equipped to assert their rights in the communities where they live.

Not to mention able to vote anti-immigrant politicians out of office.

God help Pawlenty if these new immigrants are quick learners. They may have a damning effect at the polls when Pawlenty makes his run for president in 2012.

Another Reason to Celebrate

The news that Prop 8 in California has been struck down by a Federal judge as unconstitutional is drawing cheers from from the GLBT community and their supporters. The ruling comes after California residents voted to define marriage as a privilege reserved for heterosexuals only. Just short of calling California’s law bigotted, Judge Vaughn R. Walker had this to say in his ruling:
“Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite sex couples are superior to same-sex couples. Because California has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians, and because Proposition 8 prevents California from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide marriages on an equal basis, the court concludes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.”

We at the HPR are glad to hear that as our community gears up to celebrate the equal rights of the GLBT community, others in the country are echoing the sentiment.

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