Our
View: Bush opposes Latino integration,
U.S.
The national anthem is, for many people, more than just a song. It is a message
to the world, proclaiming a nation’s virtues, evoking a sense of pride
and nationalism in those who sing it. Recently, President George W. Bush and
other Republican pundits decided America’s anthem should be sung only in
English as singing it in Spanish would be disrespectful
and unpatriotic.
During a question-and-answer session with reporters Bush said, “…people
who want to be a part of this country ought to learn English and they ought to
learn to sing the national anthem in English.”
While Bush may be right to say learning English is an essential part of integrating
oneself into American society, his assertion that Latinos should learn to sing
the national anthem in English is both impractical and narrow-minded.
One of the most prominent features of American culture is the United States truly
has no original culture. The United States is unique in that it is one of the
few places where its culture is a hodgepodge of other countries’ customs,
accumulated over time as people from various nations immigrated here.
The religions we practice, the foods we eat, our art and music all have their
origin in other countries. Even English was not the first language to be spoken
on U.S. soil. Native Americans were the first people to inhabit the North American
continent.
Many U.S. citizens arrogantly hold the belief that in order to be part of our
society, one must conform to older, more established societal norms, when in
fact our own culture is itself composed of many other nations’ practices.
Solely speaking Spanish (or any language other than English) is a sever hindrance
for people try to adapt and socialize in the United States, but learning to speak
a foreign language can be very difficult and intimidating and certainly takes
a lot of time and practice. Rather than welcome new citizens with hostility and
an abandon-your-culture-for-ours attitude, we should act with respect toward
our fellow citizens. Spanish-speaking citizens should be encouraged to take pride
in the nation in which they live, rather than feel as though their culture and
contributions are not appreciated.
The Latin American culture has many things to offer with colorful, vibrant art
and music, a beautiful language, interesting foods and many different kinds of
people. Rather than reject an ever-increasing and enormous proportion of our
population, these people should be encouraged to take pride in the nation in
which they live. Yes, they should eventually learn English, but for now let us
greet a new addition to our own culture.
If we behave with civility and respect toward new residents we not only stand
to gain new depths to our own culture, but we improve ourselves by behaving as
moral and socially conscientious citizens. That is an essential part of being
an American.
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