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Opinion

One country, variety of languages

Christian Ochoa 
Opinion Columnist

You know you're in Texas when someone says, "I want a hamburger con queso, por favor" in a drive-thru lane. You know you're in Houston when areas in town have the corresponding Chinese characters with street names. And quite frankly, you know you're in the United States when few Americans are proficient in a second language, let alone in their native tongue, English. 

With the growing concern about undocumented immigrants entering the U.S., discussion of immigrant assimilation into mainstream American culture have gone from one side of the political spectrum to the other. Each side has its own stance on assimilating immigrants, but a popular argument among Americans and politicians is a greater emphasis on learning English. 

Although the bill is just a symbolic display of patriotism, the U.S. Senate voted last month to make English the U.S.'s "national language." Some say the bill is racist and an attack on Spanish speakers, while others say it's good for the country and a push for immigrants to become American, but for this writer, the bill was just tactless. 

Until recently, the thought of America having an official language like France or the four that Switzerland has wasn't a common belief. Not having an official language just added to the romantic notion of America being the melting pot of the world. The idea of speaking only English is gaining speed with the threat of foreigners from the south stealing American jobs, and, of course, our women.

It's ironic that in the country where people are pushing to make English the national language, our fearless leader has problems with his native tongue. 

Granted, some of President Bush's flaws are because his Southern drawl, but how can anyone excuse him for saying "misunderestimated," "unalienalienable," "hypnotheoretical" or "How many hands have I shaked?"

In the city of brotherly love, one of Philadelphia's best-known cheesesteak joints is in the national spotlight for posting a sign that goes along with said popular notion: "This is America: When ordering -- speak English." Of course, this joint is in south Philadelphia, where "yo" and "youse" are common regional dialect. 

The owner of the establishment, Joseph Vento, whose grandparents struggled to learn English when they arrived to America in 1920, isn't backing down after city leaders and community activists have asked him to take the sign down, the Associated Press reported. 

When ordering at Vento's restaurant, don't forget the "freedom fries" because we all know that those are just as popular as "liberty cabbage."

Vento's actions might seem petty at first glance, but this is another example of a common mentality in the United States. Non-white, non-Protestant immigrants suffered in the United States with a xenophobic American public in the early 20th century, and the scenario is now being repeated with new victims: non-English speakers.

Whether Americans like it, the United States is part of a global community where English isn't always the dominant language, and common human courtesy must be expected when dealing with foreigners. Remember that one-sixth of the world speaks Chinese. It's funny when I hear Americans snicker and make jokes about a foreigner's attempt at speaking English with a heavy accent. At least the foreigner can speak more than his native tongue.

I guess that old joke is correct: What do you call someone who speaks three languages? Trilingual. What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Bilingual. What do you call someone who speaks one language? American. 

Ochoa, an opinion columnist for The Daily Cougar, 
can be reached at thecochoa@gmail.com