Miami In Need of Better Español

A topic of particular interest to me...and one that gets constantly misrepresented and misinterpreted in the media and in mainstream thought...is the issue of bilingualism in Hispanic-heavy areas such as Miami. It is because of this that I found today's feature Miami Herald article on the Erosion of Spanish in Miami by Enrique Fernandez particularly interesting.

It's a long article with a few side stories, but please take the time to read it if you have any interest in how assimilation really works in the USA. Forget about everything Tom Tancredo and Newt Gingrich have told you.

I have written posts related to this topic here and here. A common theme in these posts is a strong desire and pull for English to become the dominant language of second and third-generation Hispanics, even in Miami. The common perception is that in Miami, one can get by without speaking a word of English. I suppose that's true in many areas of town, but where does lack of English skills get someone? Not too far. That's why English ends up being the primary language of the younger generation, along with the typical peer pressure and pop culture issues that dominate every group that comes along.

The fact that proper Spanish...spoken, read and written, is faltering somewhat in Miami is not the least bit surprising. This has been known and documented for more than a decade now. This definitely runs counter to xenophobes who claim that Hispanics are a threat to the English language.

The problem is exactly the opposite, and one that will surely surprise many people:

What do we do to make sure we keep up our Spanish fluency in Miami?

That's right, you read that correctly. It's not English that failing in Miami, it's Spanish.

Of course, there are and will likely always be plenty of Spanish speakers in Miami, simply due to our geographic location and business culture. I may be exaggerating the state of Spanish proficiency in Miami, but not by much. The Herald's Fernandez mentions several examples of companies in Miami having problems hiring local fluent Spanish speakers, and having to resort to hiring people from places such as Puerto Rico to find someone who can speak, read and write formal, business Spanish, not just the "kitchen" Spanish spoken at home in informal settings.

Being born in the United States, I can personally relate to the stories in the article. I am proud to say that I can not only speak Spanish, but read and write it as well, but it took effort and practice not to mention insistence by my parents and family. I will never be at the level of someone, say, born, raised and educated in Colombia, but I feel comfortable enough with Spanish that I can talk to someone from any Spanish-speaking country.

Our schools need to do a better job of teaching Spanish. It's that simple. Miami-Dade County only has a virtual handful of bilingual schools, way too few for our area. If we're going to be a truly bilingual community, local officials, high-powered CEOs, and the rest of us need to encourage and support any and all efforts to increase bilingual proficiency. More resources need to be allocated to our schools to ensure that the new generation learns proper Spanish. English won't be a problem, as this post alleges and is supported by the Herald article and others. Our economy depends on Spanish speakers to not only deal with locals, but most importantly to continue our links to the Latin American business community. Otherwise, companies are going to start looking to other cities. Miami can't afford that.

We have a natural edge in the bilingual world. Let's keep it.

Bilinguals Are Americans Too

Mr. Gingrich, with all due respect, you've got it all wrong.

The ex-Speaker of the House was quoted in several news stories as stating that bilingual education is "dangerous" and equivalent to "living in a ghetto". It's hard for me to believe that someone such as Gingrich who understands the true nature of our real enemies would make such an irresponsible statement.

Anyone who has followed this blog knows my feelings on this issue.

People such as Newt Gingrich and Tom "Third-World" Tancredo don't get it. They are completely and thoroughly out of touch with immigrant communities. Frankly, this is a side of the Republican Party that often disturbs me. To these folks, speaking any language other than English (even if they're bilingual) is the same as not being an American.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

As Peter Zamora is quoted as saying in the linked article above,

(Zamora) said research has shown that bilingual education is the best method of teaching English to non-English speakers. Spanish-speakers, he said, know they need to learn English. "There's no resistance to learning English, really, among immigrants, among native-born citizens. Everyone wants to learn English because it's what you need to thrive in this country."

I don't need to see the research to believe Zamora. I have seen it with my own two eyes. Those relative few that don't learn English don't do so because of other pressing issues such as working multiple jobs, for example. However, those same people would freely admit that they would be better off by learning English. If learning English wasn't such a strong motivator, then why are night English classes at schools such as Miami-Dade College jam-packed with students?

That's not the point of this post, however.

People such as Gingrich and Tancredo are afraid that being bilingual makes someone less apt to be American, and therefore embrace the values that make our country great. Perhaps they only see extremists such as La Raza and apply that group's mindset to all bilingual Hispanics. Perhaps they should visit cities such as Miami or New York or even Los Angeles and see how people of different cultures and, yes, languages, can come together in one place and incorporate themselves into America. Not the Gingrich/Tancredo vision of America, but the real spirit of America. The spirit of earning your living and living in a free society.

The spirit of defending and laying your life for this country, as so many immigrants have done.

As the Zamora quote illustrates, English will never be replaced as the primary language of this country. Bilinguals don't have a secret agenda to undermine American values. Only extremists do.

I'm sure I speak for my fellow bilinguals when I say that the ability to speak two languages is a huge plus. It doesn't make me better than a monolingual, but it does open doors. More importantly, it enhances the vibrant and diverse fabric that is America.

Mr. Gingrich: open your mind. It's not hard to do.