Obama’s Language Mandate: Why It Feels Like Hungarian to Me
Siento el informarte, Mexican Carlos, but we know exactly why Obama said it. He was not talking about self-improvement. He was insulting the intelligence of many Americans – including my German-learner husband, who said upon hearing about his quote, “He’s a jerk!” Barack Obama assumes that people don’t know what he means, but we weren’t born yesterday, as too many of his followers seem to be. Many people here have taken foreign language courses for one reason or another: I had to learn English to live here. And there are others who don’t have the language skill in them, no matter what language they try to learn. (Oh, I’ve seen them, too!) He didn’t have to insult their intelligence and think he could get away with it.
Besides, English is the global lingua franca It is the language of technology and commerce, the language of all classification societies in global maritime commerce, and the must-learn language for anyone who wants to do anything meaningful anywhere. Even on Spanish language TV, some of the longest-running advertisements are English language learning packages for adults and children. I never miss watching an ad for Inglés sin Barreras, for instance. Even the Hispanic population know the truth about life here: if you want to be somebody here, learn English!
One more thing: I know where Dr. Grabar comes from. I’m a native Puerto Rican. For many years after the Spanish-American War (1898), there was a strong popular resistance to the teaching and learning of English only in the public schools: the directives from Washington were to force students to learn it. Many were not happy with any overt plan by any American to impose English on the island by hook or by crook. The language issue was one of the reasons why the Nationalist movement was very strong in the island until the 1950s. It was not until a new governmental relationship with the United States was established in the island and a new industrial plan was implemented that people realized English was essential for modernization. A compromise was made: English for commerce and industry, and Spanish for cultural and identity preservation. It has worked well, so far. Nowadays, anyone who cannot speak English in Puerto Rico is S.O.L. when it comes to employment in just about any industry that requires it. And for those who have college degrees, have both languages tamed and come here to the Mainland, the job offers are endless.
Oh, BTW. Dr. Grabar has written here before, and I appreciate her candor for doing it. I venture to say she will do it again. ¡Te guste o no! (Like it or not!)
