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Opinion

Prejudice is language of ignorant politician 

Zach Lee
Opinion Colmunist

Houston is an international city. It is an international port, a rail and trucking hub, and one of the largest economic centers in the United States. 

More than 90 foreign languages are spoken in this city, and of those, Spanish is by far the most prevalent. 

For anyone staying in Houston for a significant period of time, it is all but impossible to leave this city without picking up at least some basic Spanish phrases.

Hola. Me llamo Zach.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is not from Houston, however, and when he implied in a speech Saturday that Spanish was "the language of living in a ghetto," he both flaunted his own ignorance and prejudice and encouraged the continued ignorance and prejudice of others. 

His comments were met with cheers from the crowd of more than 100 people who came to watch him speak to the National Federation of Republican Women in Washington, D.C. 

Yo vivo en Houston y soy estudiante.

If facts, and not politics, were behind Gingrich's words, it would be obvious that language has nothing to do with "living in a ghetto." 

In 2005, baseball player and native Spanish speaker Sammy Sosa testified to Congress on baseball's steroid problem with the help of a translator.

In 2005, the same Sammy Sosa also made nearly $18 million. 

There are countless other examples of men and women who have succeeded in the United States without a perfect handle on the English language.

It is not only unfair of Gingrich to use stereotypes to rally his supporters -- it's irresponsible.

Estudio inglés y español.

Gingrich's implied smear on Spanish speakers was only part of his speech, however, and the main thrust was aimed at bilingual education and requirements that ballots be printed in different languages. 

Bilingual education usually includes programs that teach basic subjects to students in their native languages so they don't fall behind, and federal law stipulates that, in districts with large populations of non-English speakers, ballots must be printed in different languages.

Algunas palabras en español son muy difíciles.

Bilingual education is a complicated system that has clear shortcomings, but letting children fail because they know their multiplication tables in Spanish instead of English is hardly a viable alternative. 

American culture is extremely pervasive, and if high school students in Mexico can pick up American slang from an afternoon at the movies, it is all but impossible for children in the United States to avoid English -- even if they speak Spanish at home. 

On the other hand, printing ballots only in English further marginalizes many groups of recent immigrants and either discourages them from voting or encourages them to vote without having any idea who or what they are voting for.

Pero esas no son buenas ideas.

Lee, an English/Spanish senior, 
can be reached via dccampus@mail.uh.edu