The Lumberjack

Issue date: 9/19/07 Section: Letters to the Editor

Early last week, all the Internet gossip was about Britney's allegedly (I don't agree) flabby physique on the MTV Video Music Awards of Sunday, Sept 9. Unfortunately, few Americans know that earlier that night, real history was being made. Seven out of the eight democratic pre-candidates running for the presidency participated in a forum that directly addressed Spanish-speaking Americans. It was transmitted live via multiple media formats managed by Univision, the largest Spanish language television station in the U.S. It was made available on TV and Radio stations all across the country and online. Pre-candidates Hillary Clinton, Christopher Dodd, John Edwards, Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, Barack Obama and Bill Richardson all accepted the invitation. Joe Biden was the only Democrat who was absent. The event was arranged specifically for the Spanish speaker: viewers sent in their questions online, which were then asked to candidates in Spanish, and translated for them simultaneously into English. The candidates had to answer in English (even Bill Richardson and Chris Dodd, the only Democratic candidates who speak fluent Spanish), and their answers were translated back to Spanish for the audience. The topics revolved around the top concerns for the Latino population: health care, school desertion, homeland security, education, and, of course, immigration.

It is the first event of its kind and its about time. After all, the U.S. is second only to Mexico as the country with the largest Spanish speaking population in the world. It is possible that this will be seen as a risky political move, giving the perception that addressing Latinos in their mother tongue encourages a lack of acculturation to American life. However, strictly speaking, the need for this to be done in Spanish is not really that high, after all, 78 percent of the 44 million Latinos in the U.S. are bilingual. So why go through so much trouble? Well, despite the fact that a majority of the Hispanic population speaks English, seven out of every ten choose to speak Spanish at home. And more than any other immigrant group, they maintain a tie to the language of their heritage. Not to mention we truly appreciate the efforts others make in trying to understand that. In fact, I think it touches a soft spot that could have a more relevant impact than that of the very content that transpired at the forum. After all, if people really want to know what's going on, they can get their little niece to translate for them. The real significance lies in the fact that the pre-candidates are taking the time to acknowledge and to openly invite us to participate in civic life. It is a symbolic move and it will be only to the benefit of the participants. It says yes, you are here and you are worth the trouble.

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