Schwarnzegger: Switch off Spanish TV
Hispanic Americans are angry at Governor Schwarzenegger for saying something ridiculous, naive, racist!
What did he say?
“You’ve got to turn off the Spanish television set. You’re just forced to speak English, and that just makes you learn the language faster.”
He excused himself, knowing that people would get angry:
“I know this sounds odd and this is the politically incorrect thing to say and I’m going to get myself in trouble, ut I know that when I came to this country, I very rarely spoke German to anyone.”
Some reactions:
- “Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., called the governor’s advice a ‘typical sound bite solution to an important issue,’ said Jim Dau, a spokesman for Sanchez.”
- “A Hispanic advocacy group said Schwarzenegger’s comments show his ‘ignorance on immigration issues’,” namely:
“Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger demonstrated his ignorance on immigration issues once again by perpetuating the myth that immigrants have to reject their old culture and language in order to learn English and assimilate,” said Brent Wilkes, national executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
- “Francisco Hernandez, an immigration attorney, said there’s nothing wrong with encouraging immigrants to learn English but there’s no need for ‘immigrant bashing’.”
My reaction: Schwarzenegger is completely right. He is not saying that it should be illegal to watch Spanish TV, he said that if you want to learn English fast, it is best to switch off Spanish channels and to strictly watch English shows. That is - indeed - a great way to learn English.
I’m feeling a little better and back. Good luck on your studies. As for this post how did Arnold learn english. To bash Arnold is to show their true colors.Those colors being anything but red,white and blue.Pardon the yankee doodle rhetoric but way to many people in the Hispanic advocacy biz are all about power. The power they get by keeping those they supposedly advocate for ignorant.
in2thefray: i agree that there are some out there who are like that, we’ve got them here as well (albeit with muslim immigrants not hispanics).
good to see you’re back
He’s very right.
Reality is that people can be born here, live their lives here and die in parts of this Country without ever learning English.
But the facts of Reality is also that their options are limited by their limited abilities to speak the Language.
Michael
I have 2 friends from the same town in Austria that Arnold is from. It’s my understanding that in Austria and the Netherlands, most people learn English in school. Arnold thus would have had an advantage over those from the Latin American countries that don’t encourage learning English as a 2nd language.
“…that don’t encourage learning English as a 2nd language.” Unfortunately the United States doesn’t either. The sketchy use of bilingual education keeps people down. Also to add to my earlier. There was a case where a Hispanic advocacy group published a pamphlet addressing lottery/gambling winnings and those on welfare. Spend the earnings and stay on the dole was the advice. This is not advocacy.