May 25, 2006

The resounding message in the recent national language debate is loud and clear: Immigrants not welcome!

On May 18, the Senate approved an amendment making English our "common and unifying language."

The reason for this current debate is fear. The Latino population in the United States has grown to 14 percent of the population. We're making inroads in politics, sports, business, academics and entertainment, among other areas.

The bill emerged during a resurgence of anti-Mexican -- and general anti-Latino -- sentiment. And it sends a loud message of intolerance.

According to the U.S. Census, 20 percent of U.S. residents speak a language other than English at home. Of those, more than half also speak English "very well." What this means is that more than 90 percent of the people living in the United States, over age 5, speak English.

Spanish has remained an important part of Latino identity in the United States. Spanish-named places -- towns, cities, parks, lakes -- can still be found in much of the country. Mexicans, many of whose ancestors have lived in the Southwest for generations -- long before it became part of the United States -- place a cultural value on the continued learning of Spanish by younger generations.

But we also know the importance of learning English.

John Trasvina, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, points to the long waiting lists for English classes.

What is at stake here is not truly the status of English in the United States, but the belief that English is a superior language to all others. The amendment may use terms like "common and unifying," but it implies a form of linguistic manifest destiny.

Why not encourage Americans to speak as many languages as possible?

In many countries, citizens speak two or more languages, facilitating every day life and adding to the unique diversity that makes up their culture. People benefit from what this diversity adds to their national identity.

As Americans, we have nothing to fear from the Spanish language.

Yolanda Chávez Leyva is a historian specializing in Mexican-American and border history. José Miguel Leyva is a freelance writer. Both live in Texas. They can be reached at pmproj [at] progressive [dot] org.