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.

GOP Debate in Spanish

Tomorrow night here in Miami, the GOP presidential candidates square off in yet another debate. The big deal about this debate is the fact that it is hosted by Univision and it will be translated into Spanish for the benefit of its viewers.

I'm happy that the GOP candidates (save Tom "Miami is Third World" Tancredo) finally agreed to participate. It's about time Hispanics get to hear honest talk about illegal immigration. Chances are the majority of viewers won't like what they hear, but as I like to say:

"Oh well."

I have to admit that, despite being bilingual and supportive of efforts to promote bilingualism, deep inside I feel a little resentment towards Univision and those U.S. Hispanics who demand that debates be broadcast in Spanish. I feel dirty for thinking and writing this, but I have to hold my nose and agree with Tancredo that all U.S. citizens should speak English. It's simply a matter of respect, is how I see it.

Where folks like Tancredo and I disagree is in the degree in which one learns English and retains their heritage. I get the impression that Tancredo and other xenophobes out there expect people to arrive in this country, forget all of where they came from, and learn English on the spot. After all, isn't that what the immigrants of the early 20th century did? (No, of course not, but that's another topic for another day). As previous posts here have alluded to, Hispanic immigrants eventually learn English, whether poorly or otherwise, and their kids end up speaking better English than Spanish. Therefore, all this xenophobic bluster about English being the official (read: only) language of the United States is much ado about nada.

Where I feel a little conflicted is in the fact that Mexican-owned networks such as Univision take advantage of Americans' spirit of inclusiveness and start making demands that Spanish be given equal time in the United States. I have no problem whatsoever with networks such as Univision and Telemundo, and their local affiliates, broadcasting programming in Spanish. It's a choice and it's great that we can be exposed to different cultures and languages, as well as provide information to a large segment of the population that doesn't yet have good command of English. It's in the demand that Univision cut across demographic lines and broadcast a U.S. presidential debate in Spanish where they cross the line. If Univision would have decided to broadcast the entire thing in English, with subtitles instead of spoken translation into Spanish, I would applaud that as the respectful and truly inclusive thing to do.

Hispanics of all countries and colors who believe and demand that people should speak to them in Spanish in the United States are just plain rude. One thing is to not be able to speak fluent English for various and valid reasons without making demands that they be spoken to in Spanish, and another is to expect Americans to cover their language deficiencies.

To these folks, and to Univision, it appears that bilingualism is a one way street. Let's not forget that to be bilingual is to speak Spanish AND English.

If you don't speak good English, or if you don't speak English at all, that's perfectly fine. Many of my older relatives speak or spoke little if any English. Just don't push around the vast majority of Americans who speak our common language, which is English.

English Definitely Spoken Here

A big issue of the anti-illegal immigration drive we've experienced in the past couple of years revolves around language, in particular the ability and willingness (or lack thereof) of immigrants to speak English. Many people who are anti-illegal immigration for all the right reasons (such as national security, respect for our laws) also point to a perceived lack of interest amongst illegals to assimilate, which largely depends on their English-speaking skills. As such, there are efforts out there championed by people such as Tom "Miami is Third World" Tancredo and Mitt Romney to make English the official language of the United States.

Before I get to my point, let me state that immigrants ought to make a concerted effort to learn English. Nothing unites us more powerfully than a common language.

As I've stated before, however, making English the nation's official language is unnecessary. First of all, who's going to actually FORCE people to speak a language? But that's irrelevant because as we all know, dominant cultural and economic forces take over. The end result is that children of Hispanic immigrants (second-generation) speak English in very large numbers, and by the third generation, Spanish is all but gone from the equation as this article published in today's Herald illustrates.

For those of us that live in a Hispanic-dominated area such as Miami, the results of the study aren't surprising in the least, nor should they be (unless you don't pay attention or believe in stereotypes). I am constantly amazed at the power English holds as a dominant cultural influence, even in Miami. I know of kids who arrived here from Cuba as 9 and 10 year-olds who couldn't speak a simple sentence in English who 4 or 5 years later speak English as well as any native. The ones that lag behind after spending several years here are the exception.

A myth regarding bilingual education is that it retards or severely impacts students' abilities to speak English. I have two younger relatives who have either gone through or are currently attending bilingual schools. Their English hasn't been affected one bit, and as an added benefit, they can speak Spanish. How about that?!

To make a long post short, the English-only folks who worry about Hispanics' lack of assimilation and English skills are worrying about nothing. In the end, it smacks of xenophobia, even if they don't feel that way deep down. Time and cultural pressures (not to mention economic ones) takes care of the language issue.

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.