Fla. Spanish-Language Website Launched to Help Hispanics Prepare for Hurricanes

June 1, 2006

  • June 1, 2006 at 9:35 am
    Sayin De Obvious says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 0
    Thumb down 0

    The first most effective way to prepare for emergencies is be able to speak and understand the predominant language of the country in which you live.

  • June 1, 2006 at 10:19 am
    Truth says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 0
    Thumb down 0

    Sayin seems to have an agenda regarding English as an official language (often referred to as \”English only\”). What is truly sad are those people who agree, and all they offer are simplistic claims with no evidence to support their statements. They make unsupported claims about ethnic separatism and immigrants\’ disinclination to learn English unless forced to do so.

    There was no English proficiency requirement to become naturalized as a U.S. citizen until 1906 â€â€Ŕ the first major language restriction to be enacted at the federal level. On the other hand, the Continental Congress saw nothing wrong with printing its Journals and other official documents in German and in French. No patriotic objections were raised against accommodating these politically significant minorities. Before World War I, bilingual education was common in areas where non-Anglo groups enjoyed political clout. During the 19th century, state laws, constitutions, and legislative proceedings appeared in languages as diverse as Welsh, Czech, Norwegian, Spanish, French, and German.

    Any and every government has a responsibility to help protect ALL of its residents when it responds to a public emergency crisis, such as a hurricane. If there are a significant amount of recent immigrants that use a different language, it\’s only common sense that you can more effectively communicate in that language. Even the proposed House bill (H.R. 997) recognizes this and it does not apply to—\”actions or documents that protect the public health and safety.\”

    While language diversity is hardly a new issue in U.S. history, it is a new issue to most living Americans. But there is a vacuum of reliable information. This has created an environment in which ethnic stereotypes, romantic myths, and folk wisdom can flourish. Such a vacuum favors those who advance simplistic claims. Journalists have not helped the situation. Often they have gobbled up the misrepresentations, both large and small, served up by English Only groups propagated by the media. Once ingested into the media, such errors are recycled until they become part of the conventional wisdom.

    There is no evidence that bilingual accommodations slow down English acquisition
    This is not to say the United States should have no language policy. Quite the contrary. Now more than ever we need a comprehensive plan for managing language resources and ensuring language rights. But such a policy involves much more than simply designating an official language.

    Also, consider this irony – despite its increasing diversity, the United States remains an underdeveloped country when it comes to language skills. Immigrants are importing other tongues at record rates. Yet the vast majority of native-born Americans remain stubbornly monolingual and many are not even that proficient in English.

  • June 1, 2006 at 10:46 am
    Sayin De Obvious says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 0
    Thumb down 0

    Good history. Oh, don\’t get me wrong. I think it\’s embarrassing that Americans generally don\’t know other languages. I\’m wroking on Spanish myself – watch the spanish TV news. (better anyway than our gringo local TV news)
    As a safety thing, however, if you know ¡Parada! ¡Ese taco tiene veneno en él! means Stop! That taco has poison on it! you are likely to avoid a bad day.



Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*