In a recent proposal that has been a hot-button topic for two years, Nashville, Tenn. residents are prepared to vote on Thursday, January 22 on an English-only resolution that requires city government workers to communicate in English.
Nashville currently allows government officials to communicate in any language they choose. Introduced by Nashville councilman Eric Crafton, the proposal, called English First, however, could make Nashville the largest city in the United States to prohibit government workers from using languages other than English. The only exceptions where workers could speak in native tongue are health and safety issues.
“It sounds like some hatred. What would be the purpose? I understand we’re in America, but who am I offending,” asks bilingual Mexican American Juan Gonlalez. “I’ve been able to communicate to Asian people through Spanish because they can’t speak English. They’ve mastered Spanish but couldn’t speak English.”
According to the San Antonio, Texas-based music store owner, his fluency in two languages has helped his business as it would help government workers in other parts of the country.
“There are a huge amount of people who come to this country who can’t speak English. A lot of my customers from Mexico are very wealthy who can only speak Spanish,” says Gonzalez. “If I knew how to speak Indian, Spanish and Chinese, I would be even happier because I would learn how to communicate with those people.”
Atlanta resident and Haitian American Tai Saint-Louis agrees but only to a degree. “It’s definitely a discriminatory if not racist law,” she states. “I made it my business to learn English just like everybody in my family learned to speak English. If you came to Haiti, I would expect you to learn to French. I don’t see making a law against it.
She continues, “But I can understand where they’re coming from. If you are dealing with people in their country, you should want to speak their language.”
Nigerian immigrant Charles Akinboge concurs. In his native country, there are about 250 ethnicities and many languages. “We are used to it; it’s not new to people from Nigeria,” he explains. “If I go to another city in another part of the country, it’s possible that we cannot understand each other. English is generally accepted in America. When we are at home, we speak our language. But you should be able to cut it off. When we go outside of our place, we don’t find it difficult to do.
“When you are in Rome,” he continues, “you do as a Romanian.”
