A debate has been raging in the United States the past week over the announcement of several Hispanic artists and a recording studio of their intention to record the Star Spangled Banner in Spanish.
Of course a lot of people aren’t happy about it.
Michelle Malkin sums it up in one nice question: Who’s anthem, who’s flag, and who’s country is it anyway?
I’ll give her a kneejerk “unsure” answer; the white man’s?
Personally I find it ironic when Americans close their doors to migrants. I’m willing to bet that half of these people’s ancestors that first stepped into the United States knew not a word of English and probably died without perfecting it.
Need I dare point out that the United States was built by people who did not speak perfect English? The United States was built on the sweat, tears and blood of African slaves and non-English European, Asian and Latin American migrants who have provided cheap or unfair labor for over four hundred years, and to this day they are still fulfilling that purpose.
I’m sure America would not be where it is today if it had made even simple passable English a prerequisite for migration.
And I’m quite sure a handful of Latinos singing the Star Spangled Language in Spanish does no damage to American culture and patriotism. In fact, I think it will contribute greatly to American patriotism and nationalism because it will make non-English speakers understand what the US national anthem is all about.
Certainly unlike the way US armed forces pillage the cultures of the countries they enter.
4 responses so far ↓
1 frayed // May 10, 2006 at 5:26 am
I’m not sure how I feel about the anthem being translated into Spanish but I do agree they should lighten up on the immigrants. Torn and I had a discussion yesterday. He insisted there were immigration laws that had to be followed. I asked “But who’s to say who’s illegal or not?” He said, “Well, that’s just how it is everywhere. You can’t go to Singapore without a visa..” I said, “I’m sure the people who invaded America in the 17th c didn’t have any visas…” They were all immigrants as you said.
2 Jon Limjap // May 10, 2006 at 12:52 pm
frayed,
Well, even if we excluded the European settlers from the 17th century, One thing I do know is that Latin Americans entered California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, Texas, New Mexico and Florida long before caucasians did.
Most of these states were lost by Mexico to the United States during the Mexican-American war — a war that started when white settlers took serious interest in the fertile lands owned by Mexico and began *migrating* steadily into the region.
That Mexicans are trying to enter through these states “illegally” to the chagrin of the United States is a historical irony that amuses me to no end.
3 frayed // May 13, 2006 at 6:16 am
ANd let’s not forget what they did to all the (American) Indians whose culture they destroyed/population they wiped out.
4 tiquio // Apr 5, 2007 at 4:35 am
jon,
an ating pong orihinal na pambansang awit ay isinulat sa sa wikang kastila. nuong sinakop tayo ng mga norteamerikanos, pinalitan ito o pilit isinalin sa wikang ingles. ngayon, isinalin na rin sa wikang tagalog, cebuano, ilocano at iba pa.
gumagalang,
tiqiuo
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