Sanchez: Being bilingual will open doors

Even though the U.S. should remain an English speaking country, it helps everyone if more of its residents speak more than one language. DP

By Ashley Sanchez, REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR

statesman.com: The Leander school district board is considering including a second language, most likely Spanish, as part of the curriculum for elementary students. Happily, the proposal enjoys widespread support in our community. But it is also a reminder, as California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently found, that language is an emotionally charged issue.

The immigrant governor stepped on a hornet's nest when he told a convention of Hispanic journalists that immigrants should "turn off the Spanish television set" to learn English more quickly. By so saying, he ran afoul of "advocates" who apparently want to protect monolingualism among the newcomers.

Of course, if immigrants remain monolingual, then more Americans must become bilingual to meet their needs in various settings, including medical situations and law enforcement. In fact, one right reserved exclusively for American citizens caters to monolingual immigrants by allowing them to vote with ballots printed in their native languages. Perhaps it is because of this double standard that some people are angered by attempts to encourage Americans to be bilingual.

The anger is misplaced. People at both ends of the spectrum need to recognize that being monolingual fences people in by limiting opportunities and creating barriers. Thus, newcomers to this country should learn English. Mercifully, many do, and, by the third generation, virtually all do.
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