As I read the conversation between Julie and Mayumi in last month’s edition of Moonshine Ink I couldn’t help but start thinking about the meaning of cultural diversity, integration, and the relation with bilingualism.
I agree with Julie that it’s very important that people living in the United States learn English, what’s more, I believe that anyone who has the opportunity to learn a second (or third) language should take advantage of it. I’m grateful for having had the opportunity to learn English since I was a little girl. Being able to communicate in a foreign tongue opened many doors in my life, not only in my work, but in the educational and personal arenas as well. This is why it is so hard for me to imagine how someone can’t understand the advantages of speaking a foreign language.
Wouldn’t it be great to travel around the world and be able to communicate with people in every country? Or read books by great authors in their original language? You choose to learn a foreign tongue for the same reasons you decide to learn how to use a computer or to start college: for your individual development and to expand your cultural spectrum. In the global world where we live we need to adapt in order to continue growing. What’s wrong with having to learn a new language? Considering this knowledge as not beneficial shows the conception of cultural superiority of the ‘American Empire.’ Spanish is the language spoken in more than 20 countries and by more than 350 million habitants. Maybe Julie should visit some places outside of California to comprehend this.
In American society, there has been for a long time an ideological reaction against the use of Spanish or bilingual education coming from the conservative sectors. But it’s no coincidence that this discussion comes up again during the middle of the debate over the immigration reform. The coercive actions taken against the minorities show the rejection to the incorporation of new elements, different from the anglo-culture.
I think American culture has nothing to fear. I live in Argentina and every time I turn on my TV I see more than 15 channels in English, every Hollywood movie arrives at my theater the same day that it does in America and it’s very easy to find a McDonald’s in Buenos Aires. The key is to know, accept, and take advantage of the good things that the global world has to offer, without losing our identity. It would be better to accept it as ‘input’ and not reject it as an ‘invasion.’
Saying that the motive for immigration is the cultural superiority of the United States implies ignoring (apart from the deeper reasons that cause it) migration as a global phenomenon and the movement of people all over the world toward industrialized countries. And foremost, it implies not recognizing that the United States has invited the arrival of immigrants (students, qualified workers, temporary workers) in parallel to its productive transformation and insertion in the global economy.
It’s not easy to achieve harmonious functioning of a ‘diversity machine’ and there is always risk of social segmentation. But it is necessary to achieve an acceptance of the ‘others’ that goes beyond a resigned tolerance.
If the future of America is to be a bilingual country, Why not take a step forward and start learning English or Spanish?
As the saying goes, ‘When a person stops learning, they automatically stop growing.’
~ Sincerely
Cecilia Filipello
An original Moonshine Ink translator who dearly loves Tahoe
