Can't We All Just Get Along?

Perhaps you're getting this reaction because people feel that those living in this country should be able to read and speak English. Is that too much to ask?

I am one of those "racist" bigots who complain about Spanish direct mail (and other forms of Spanish advertising.) I complain because I believe the encroachment of Spanish is a direct threat to our nation's social unity and cultural heritage. Whenever I get direct mail in Spanish I take a big black Sharpie marker and scrawl "ENGLISH IS OUR LANGUAGE" across it and mail it back to the offending company. I also boycott any stores that feature bilingual signage, which means shopping at a lot of established Mom and Pop stores, which are more expensive and less convenient, but so what? My country's cultural heritage means more to me than a few extra dollars.

This may come as a suprise to someone who seems to make his living out of helping to destroy our cultural heritage by encouraging the proliferation of Spanish, but there are many English-speaking Americans who feel the same way as I do, and our numbers are growing. Marketers are going to find out very quickly that they can no longer count on us English-speaking "bigots" to lay down and accept cultural obliteration without a fight. They can no longer take us for granted. Sure go ahead and chase that Spanish-speaking dollar. But do it at the risk of losing the English-speaking dollar. In may case, you've lost a consumer from a household with a 200K annual income.

"I complain because I believe the encroachment of Spanish is a direct threat to our nation's social unity and cultural heritage."

Am I the only person overwhelmed by the irony of this coming from coming from resident of San Francisco, a Spanish-named city founded by the Spanish in 1776? Perhaps I'm mistaken in thinking the cultural heritage of the single most populous state in the US somehow preceeds its annexation to the US in 1848... but I don't think so..

D. Luria:

California has been English-speaking longer than it was Spanish-speaking. Yeah, we kept a few of the place names -- they were pretty. Big deal. If it were still part of Mexico (or Spain) do you think it would still be the world's 7th largest economy? Neither Spain nor Mexico built the Golden Gate Bridge, Silicon Valley or Hollywood.

This is an English-speaking country. All other immigrants learned to speak English and accepted that the USA is an Englsh-speaking country. We never had to "press one" for the Persians, Chinese or Poles. We hear alot about Hispanic "pride." Time to let advertisers know that we unhyphenated Americans have a lot of "pride" too.

Anyways, the issue isn't going to go away. The history of most bi-lingual countries isn't particularly inspiring.

I'm Dutch and had to learn English to live here. I don't expect brands in America to speak Dutch to me. Why should "hispanics" be exempted from having to learn English? Yes, Spanish marketing annoys me, so I guess that makes me a bigot and a racist.

And D Luria, you won't hear me reclaim New Amsterdam for the Dutch.

Wow, hot topic, doesn't it? But be cool english speaking people: multilingual direct marketing isn't a threat for your "social unity and cultural heritage". I understand that you prefer that people people that lives in the USA speak english, but don't take that to ridiculous terms. I mean, thanks to globalization your culture and language are well known around the world. Everybody likes McDonald's and wears Nike. So, take this as a little cultural exchange ;-)

Mary, just a reminder. Don't forget to TiVo the upcoming Democratic debate broadcast in Spansh.

Mary, just a reminder. Don't forget to TiVo the upcoming Democratic debate broadcast in Spansh. –Bill Green, MTLB, NJ

Is that a triumphalist smirk? Pro-Spanish-speaking people are good at that, aren't they? Never mind what's good for our country, we only care abuot what's good for our own ethnic group.

Yes, the Democratic debate in Spanish is a low point in this country's history. We cannot exist half-Spanish-speaking and half-English-speaking, just as we couldn't exist half-slave and half-free. Anybody who thinks differently, please take a look at what's happening in "bilingual" Belgium right now. After 170 years as a nation, the Dutch-speaking north and the French-speaking South are on the verge of splitting up. Don't come whining to me when it happens here too. Let's hope Bill Green doesn't have any investment property in the Southwest.

It seems to me that diversity makes our culture richer. Regardless of whether it is language and culture or both.

The violent reaction and aversion to Spanish language and indeed Hispanics is synonymous with a lack of interest in new ideas and thinking. This is the most dangerous thing of all. Complacency, lack of thinking, fear of change.

Ignorance is the mother of all inaccuracies. Last night's democratic debate on Univision (the "low point in the country's history" as one reader called it) was not conducted in Spanish, but in English, with simultaneous translation available for Spanish-speaking viewers. For those of you who didn't watch, Bill Richardson was actually reprimanded, twice, for attempting to speak his native language: Spanish.

Can't we just get along as the author questions. Apparently not.

Marketing is a science and an art. At times an imperfect science. At times a perfect art. And vice versa.

No one intends to irritate or anger customers or potential prospects. We simply strive to deliver a message that resonates with our audience. If the audience is more comfortable in a language other than English, is there really anything wrong with that?

This should cause no more controversey than if a reference is made to the home-State of a person and it is the wrong State.

"Is that a triumphalist smirk?"

Wow. You really showed me. Then again, I'd expect big words from a 200K household. Well done.

In an ideal world, immigrants would be able to seamlessly adapt and learn the host country's language and traditions, and the host country's citizens would be patient and learn something from them too--so they can all live and work together in peace. But we are far from UTOPIA.

At the earliest stages of the US, the new Utopian English colonies' policies ended up obliterating many a cultural heritage of older "established" groups in this territory. There was a brief peaceful interlude, but then they saw a vast, rich territory for the taking. After the Dutch, French and even the Spanish, the continental English ended up the stronger, more technologically advanced FOREIGN culture that stuck. It's telling how many English "native" speakers disavow this traumatic history of cultural conquest.

In present day, America is again the host country but now it is a firmly established world power. The bigger, technologically advanced nation. Thus, many of these fears of losing our heritage are unfounded since America's heritage IS THE MIX OF MANY. To most historians this has always been a strength.

And American culture is alive and well, thank you. It is EXPORTED everywhere, quite effectively, and in the process edges out native long-standing traditions around the world. American culture absorbs from other cultures, like a sponge. Yet it also has amazing VIRAL qualities--unstoppable when it spreads. And we recognize what is AMERICAN, don't we? So does the rest of the globe.

Indeed, when it is from here out to the world, we happily embrace, and in fact, DEMAND multiculturalism. Isn't that what we want in Iraq, in Africa, in Bosnia? But when it is the other way around, some of our American citizens treat this communion and acceptance of other languages in a cultural or commercial context as if it was the plague. What paranoia is that, if we hear 2 latinos talking Spanish in a Wal-mart, or 2 chinese ladies chatting in the Subway? Or God forbid, another language in our mailbox...

Do we really want to live in a bubble of our own making, surrounded by border walls of cultural superiority and self-dellusion? Don't we see the inconsistency here, and the dangers?

Look, the world is tiny and ultra connected today. There is no going back. We need to coexist, and the sooner we realize it the better we can plan for it so that our country can continue to flourish and be ready for dramatic changes ahead.

Once upon a time languages, cultural exchange, knowledge, and pluralism were cherished values by no less of a figure that Benjamin Franklin. Many of our founders took many wondrous ideas of thought from the french and european thinkers of the time. Even then we could not afford to be an isolationist country.

If we stifle our ability to engage, change and mix in our unique American way... If we let these baser fears take hold of our governments, our companies and our neighborhoods... even of these discussions about marketing and selling products in a language that the actual target consumer might just feel better in---then we will self destruct and it will be by the terrorism of intolerance.

That is the real tyranny.

It's telling how many English "native" speakers disavow this traumatic history of cultural conquest.

Gosh Conchita, I didn't know that the Spanish conquistadors didn't wipe out any native cultures in Latin America! Thanks for the history lesson -- and to think I always thought that Mayan and Aztec were the native languages of Mexico, not Spanish!

Thus, many of these fears of losing our heritage are unfounded since America's heritage IS THE MIX OF MANY. To most historians this has always been a strength.

Those providing "the mix" ALWAYS assimilated into the prevailing English-speaking culture. Until now, of course. Otherwise we would not have had a common culture that made us the superpower of the world in days past, but a fragmented, Balkinized one, the kind we are heading for today.

And we recognize what is AMERICAN, don't we? So does the rest of the globe.

Yes indeed, and what is AMERICAN culture is said in ENGLISH. Elvis didn't speak Spanish, and neither did Thomas Edison, FDR, William Faulkner or Marilyn Monroe. And of course the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Gettysburg address, etc. were not written in Spanish either.

Once upon a time languages, cultural exchange, knowledge, and pluralism were cherished values by no less of a figure that Benjamin Franklin.

Franklin wrote about his fears of losing English-speaking American culture to German immigrants. Look it up for yourself. I'm sure he valued assimilation and the willingness of German immigrants to learn English. Fortunately they WERE willing to assimilate and learn English, as were all other immigrant groups for 230 years, except for, well, you know. . .

Do we really want to live in a bubble of our own making, surrounded by border walls of cultural superiority and self-dellusion? Don't we see the inconsistency here, and the dangers?

We have always learned from other cultures. Keeping English as our common unifying language, which it has been for 231 years, doesn't preclude that.

If we stifle our ability to engage, change and mix in our unique American way...

Our ability to do that depends on us all speaking a common language. Sorry you can't see that. I guess no one bothered to check out what's happening in Belgium these days.

Wow. You really showed me. Then again, I'd expect big words from a 200K household. Well done. –Bill Green, MTLB, NJ

I wasn't bragging. Salaries are higher in California to make up for the higher cost of living. I was just pointing out that I have a lot of discretionary income, and marketers are turning their backs on that, by offending me with their unpatriotic, Balkanizing marketing techniques.

Ignorance is the mother of all inaccuracies. Last night's democratic debate on Univision (the "low point in the country's history" as one reader called it) was not conducted in Spanish, but in English, with simultaneous translation available for Spanish-speaking viewers. For those of you who didn't watch, Bill Richardson was actually reprimanded, twice, for attempting to speak his native language: Spanish. –Laura Martinez, New York city, NY

The questions were asked in Spanish and most of the participants had to wait for English translations in order to reply. Sounds like a very cumbersome process to me. No doubt, it would have been easier if the target audience had just accepted that English is the language of this country and endeavored to master it, as all other immigrant groups have for 231 years. . .

This should cause no more controversey than if a reference is made to the home-State of a person and it is the wrong State. –Nils von Zelowitz, New York, NY

Umm, and who are you to tell English-speaking American consumers what they "should" and "shouldn't" be offended by? The two situations are entirely different. One is a simple mistake and the other is a reminder of our historical common language being undermined and attacked by a culturally aggressive ethnic group, large numbers of which came here without our permission.

If you think it is not a problem, consider the following:

--Home Depot is currently suffering a massive sales meltdown. Many people like myself boycott Home Depot, although the boycott hasn't been addressed in the MSM. Home Depot blames its miserable performance on the slowdown in home construction, but if they really belived that was the only case, why did they sponsor a recent campaign in which they invited consumers to tell them why Home Depot is being boycotted?

--A video called "Press One For English" which outlines the anger that English-speaking Americans feel at what is happening to our language, has received more than five million hits since it was posted on Youtube a few months ago.

--If you look for them, you can find plenty of news reports of native-born English speaking Americans in civil service positions like schoolteacher, firefigher, police, etc., losing their jobs or losing out on a promotion because they don't speak Spanish. Do you think that Hispanic non-assimilation is not an issue to such people? If you had just lost your job because you don't speak Spanish, would you be happy if you opened up a direct mail letter addressed to you in that language?