Comments on: Exclusion through language http://ericstoller.com/blog/2007/08/09/exclusion-through-language/ | social justice | higher education | technology | Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:50:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: Arizona State Legislature » Eric Stoller’s Blog http://ericstoller.com/blog/2007/08/09/exclusion-through-language/#comment-23886 Sat, 19 Apr 2008 18:03:33 +0000 http://ericstoller.com/blog/2007/08/09/exclusion-through-language/#comment-23886 [...] Kavanagh and Pearce are essentially advocating for people of color in the U.S. to assimilate into white culture. The melting pot to which they refer is similar to Mount Doom in the fictional land of Mordor. People of color enter Mount Doom, throw their language/culture/identity into the hot lava, and presto, their language/culture/identity is incinerated. The melting pot is not an amalgamation of cultures, it is an incinerator that eradicates anything but white culture. Tags: Arizona, discrimination, diversity, Higher Education, melting pot, oppression, Race, racism, Social Justice, white privilege, white supremacists [...] […] Kavanagh and Pearce are essentially advocating for people of color in the U.S. to assimilate into white culture. The melting pot to which they refer is similar to Mount Doom in the fictional land of Mordor. People of color enter Mount Doom, throw their language/culture/identity into the hot lava, and presto, their language/culture/identity is incinerated. The melting pot is not an amalgamation of cultures, it is an incinerator that eradicates anything but white culture. Tags: Arizona, discrimination, diversity, Higher Education, melting pot, oppression, Race, racism, Social Justice, white privilege, white supremacists […]

]]> by: Eric Stoller http://ericstoller.com/blog/2007/08/09/exclusion-through-language/#comment-21570 Mon, 25 Feb 2008 02:03:22 +0000 http://ericstoller.com/blog/2007/08/09/exclusion-through-language/#comment-21570 Did you read Dicker's essay before you commented? You use words and phrases like "non-issue, useless, and no real purpose." Perhaps materials in Spanish would not be useful for you. However, this does not invalidate Dicker's point, nor my own, that this is more about racism and xenophobia. What is the negative personal impact to you of materials that are printed in Spanish? Did you read Dicker’s essay before you commented?

You use words and phrases like “non-issue, useless, and no real purpose.” Perhaps materials in Spanish would not be useful for you. However, this does not invalidate Dicker’s point, nor my own, that this is more about racism and xenophobia.

What is the negative personal impact to you of materials that are printed in Spanish?

]]> by: George Tirebiter http://ericstoller.com/blog/2007/08/09/exclusion-through-language/#comment-21303 Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:58:24 +0000 http://ericstoller.com/blog/2007/08/09/exclusion-through-language/#comment-21303 Making English the official language seems to me to be a non-issue. English is the de facto official language, or at least the lingua franca of the US. However, I have an opinion. I oppose mandatory use of Spanish in government notices, documents, signs, public service announcements, etc. This is an expansive and useless requirement. It serves no real purpose except to annoy people who understand both Spanish and English and don't need to read or hear the same thing twice. Go to another country where the official langage is not English (Yes! other countries do have official languages!) and see if they provide you with English translations as a matter of course. Making English the official language seems to me to be a non-issue. English is the de facto official language, or at least the lingua franca of the US. However, I have an opinion. I oppose mandatory use of Spanish in government notices, documents, signs, public service announcements, etc. This is an expansive and useless requirement. It serves no real purpose except to annoy people who understand both Spanish and English and don’t need to read or hear the same thing twice. Go to another country where the official langage is not English (Yes! other countries do have official languages!) and see if they provide you with English translations as a matter of course.

]]> by: judgesnineteen http://ericstoller.com/blog/2007/08/09/exclusion-through-language/#comment-13783 Sun, 12 Aug 2007 05:15:02 +0000 http://ericstoller.com/blog/2007/08/09/exclusion-through-language/#comment-13783 "If politicians were really smart they would be finding ways to capitalize on one of America’s greatest assets, diversity, rather than destroying it." SO true. Which is why I see the official English movement as largely based in racism rather than logic. Personally, I'm against it because English is already taking over the world, and people's languages are a big part of their identity. I think we should be as understanding and careful as possible about forcing English on people and take care to preserve minority languages (among speakers, hopefully, but at least on paper - it's estimated that half of the world's approx. 6000 languages will be dead or dying in 100 years, and we've already killed off so many Native American languages). That's not the kind of argument that stands up in politics, but it matters to me. Think of the people growing up in former colonies who have to learn English to be successful in their business but know that the reason they know English is because it was the language of their oppressors. More practically, people need to get by in the time between getting here and mastering English. Americans of all people should know that you can't learn a foreign language immediately. “If politicians were really smart they would be finding ways to capitalize on one of America’s greatest assets, diversity, rather than destroying it.”
SO true. Which is why I see the official English movement as largely based in racism rather than logic. Personally, I’m against it because English is already taking over the world, and people’s languages are a big part of their identity. I think we should be as understanding and careful as possible about forcing English on people and take care to preserve minority languages (among speakers, hopefully, but at least on paper - it’s estimated that half of the world’s approx. 6000 languages will be dead or dying in 100 years, and we’ve already killed off so many Native American languages). That’s not the kind of argument that stands up in politics, but it matters to me. Think of the people growing up in former colonies who have to learn English to be successful in their business but know that the reason they know English is because it was the language of their oppressors.

More practically, people need to get by in the time between getting here and mastering English. Americans of all people should know that you can’t learn a foreign language immediately.

]]> by: Links 10 AUG 2007 « latin american princesa {LAP} http://ericstoller.com/blog/2007/08/09/exclusion-through-language/#comment-13737 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 10:45:12 +0000 http://ericstoller.com/blog/2007/08/09/exclusion-through-language/#comment-13737 [...] Exclusion through language [...] […] Exclusion through language […]

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