Priori Incantatem

I'm sorry, I thought I was the only one who felt the way I do about the Spanish Version of MY COUNTRY'S National Anthem, but I just heard a news clip on Fox 5 News and learned that there was no AMERICAN involved in it...BIG SURPRISE>

A BRITTISH man was the man behind this atrocity. He put this fiasco together to help the immigrants feel "more patriotic"...I just have 2 comments.

#1
What does a Brit know about AMERICAN PATRIOTISM?

#2
If immigrants want to feel "more patriotic to their new home" TRY LEARNING THE SONG IN THE 'HOME'S' LANGUAGE! ENGLISH! Sing the song the way it was written and become LEGAL citizens.

We need to stop coddling to all these immigrants!! I''m sorry if this is not PC enough for these forums, but if you want to live here LEARN THE LANGUAGE! My ancestors came here from Ireland and Italy LEGALLY Irish people speak English, but they were still treated like crap when they first came here, a hell of a lot worse than we treat all these ILLEGAL immigrants, My Italian ancestors had to learn how to read, write, and speak English FLUENTLY in order to get and hold a job. Now if something's not translated into Spanish God forbid!

The fact that this crap was all orchestrated without 1 American just shows what an absolutely ridiculous idea this really was. Let's translate GOD SAVE THE QUEEN into Spanish, see how the Brittish like it!

Clash181

The anthem being sung in Spanish doesn't bother me as much as it seems to bother you but I do agree that immigrants should learn the language most predominately used by that country’s citizens. That's not me being an ugly, xenophobic American; That's me being practical. If I were moving to France I'd learn French, If I were moving to Italy I'd learn Italian, and if you're moving to America(whether it's legally or not, though it should be legally) you should learn English.

You will never get a good job in America and achieve a truly better life here if you don't have a green card and you don't speak the language.

Speaking of illegal aliens and Mexico, I read an interesting article about both of those things: http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0330/p09s02-coop.html

Priori Incantatem

That is basically the way I feel, I don't want to come off as Xenophbic, if I were going to another country I'd have to learn their language, and so should everyone here, but they don't, and 1/2 of them have NO right to be here lawfully, but no one does much about it, but this is the final straw, I can't play nice with this. I don't get upset over this country easily, I'm sometimes embarrased for us, but I wouldn't go to someone else's country and try to change them into a bilingual country, and I certainly wouldn't have the audicity to change their National Anthem into my language.

Avatar

Hmmm, isn't the fact that you made a glaring grammar error just when lambasting others for not speaking the language slightly ironic? Also, British is written with one 't', not two. And despite coming from the same family of languages, what does the current Spanish language have to do with Latin?

Now, for the merits of your statements - entering into the US legally is awfully hard, as they have always been cherry-picking immigrats. It used to be those who 'voted with their feet' against Communism, and now it is the more skilled work-force and not necessarily (many of) those who fill the criteria set out in the 1951 Refugee Convention. Still, economic migration can be a serious problem, especially if it takes away from protecting those who need it the most, but many people live in abject poverty (a dollar a day or less) without fulfilling the stringent wording of the 1951 Convention - should be not grant them protection if we can?

And while I agree that immigrants should learn the language of the country where they are to settle as they cannot really be integrated without it, it can't be their number one priority.

I don't know why, but I'm reminded of this West Wing quote: "[There is] too many things in the world we can't do. Mexico's on fire. Why help them? Because we can."

And I also second what Lorna and Ms. Carolyn wrote down there.

Lorna

I honestly dont see what the big deal is....a large portion of the population of America speak Spanish as their first language, so why shouldnt they translate it into their mother tongue? Just because it isnt in English, doesnt make them singing it any less patriotic.

Ms Carolyn

I'm sorry, I'm not sure how a fairly faithful translation of the national anthem into Spanish (okay, they threw in a little bit about universal brotherhood into the second verse -- is there some way that idea is un-American? Well, yes, but not officially.) is some hideous affront to the U.S. and unpatriotic.

Do I think that it would be wise for people who choose to live here to learn the language? Sure, it would make sense, it would be helpful to their own advancement. Do I want to mandate it? No, because in no way do I think it would be constitutional.

Come on! The original song was an old English drinking song, for heaven's sake -- that's why it's so hard to sing! The Spanish lyrics aren't disrespectful, and they don't change the basic meaning of the song.

Maybe if people could just live and let live and not get their knickers in a knot over something that is, quite frankly, rather trivial in the overall scheme of things, the world could be a far more peaceful place.

Milo-phile

Immigration is becoming one of THOSE issues, you know the ones. The ones where every little thing is going to tick someone off. Changing my country's National Anthem into Spanish and then changing some of the words - I find that disrespectful. You don't do that. If I go to France, I sing their Anthem in French and I don't change the words to suit me. It's like not taking off your shoes in a Mosque. Even when it's not your country, you still respect their song.

I'm getting a little sick of all these immigrants protesting and the what not. They have no right. They aren't American citizens so they don't have the freedom of speech that we do. It's like if I went over to Italy and protested something over there, I have no right (legally or morally) to do it. It frustrates me.

I just have to say, learn the language or get out.

AuburnGrad

Singing the anthem in Spanish doesn't bother me one bit. However translation of the anthem into Spanish can cause a slight problem. Word for word translations are nearly impossible, so the lyrics are changed. Do they change the ultimate meaning of the song? Not really, though I can understand why some might not agree with that aspect of this controversy.

Considering the United States doesn't have an official language, I don't see what the fuss is about. The "it's our way or the highway" attitude doesn't fly with me. Yes, English is the primary language but a very large growing portion of our residents speak Spanish. Many countries recognize multiple languages. Though I do realize there is separatist tension in Quebec, Canada seems to be doing fine with its English and French versions of "Oh, Canada!".

sportsfangirl

It'd have been nice if they could've done it word for word, but I'm not against immigration. Why? Because we are illegal immigrants. I mean, it's not like they're trying to drive us out of the U.S, like we did to the true Americans (the natives).

I'm sure you all will agree with me on this.

UnsilentMajorty

You know what is at the heart of this issue MORE than being bilingual, or any of the other peripheral issues that go along with the Immigration debate?

The current administration -- and even past ones, to be fair -- And greedy corporations actively PROMOTE immigrants to come to this country -- ILLEGALLY -- Because they WANT slave labor forces. This in turn not only weakens our economy, but weakens our own domestic work force because while the argument no one wants to pick crops in 100 degree sun is valid... Guess what? The immigrants (both legal and illegal) who DO want to do this kind of work only encourages corporations to hire JUST these people as the bulk of the workforce which DEVALUES the wages they pay to domestic (American) workers as a whole. This in turn leads to Union busting and this in turn leads to a third-world economy where only the super rich can afford education, health care and other basic necessities while the rest of the "masses" -- born here or not -- Have to fend for themselves.

This is my main worry with the whole ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION debate -- I don't have a problem with legal immigration as I am a legal immigrant (came over when I was a baby and a naturalized U.S. Citizen, college educated).

The government and big corporations WANT and keep encouraging illiegal immigration because they know these people will work for pennies -- literally -- And again, this is going to continue damaging our own work forces to the point there won't be a difference between an illegal alien who can and will work for $5 a day and someone who was born here and has NO CHOICE but to also do the same or similar job for the same amount of pay. Frightening, isn't it?

People need to start "waking up" and look at who the real perpatrators of this whole debate is and start taking them to task because what we have now, from my personal perspective, is everyone attacking everyone BUT who(m) is REALLY responsible for this and this is just what they (government; big business) wants.

jalapeno_wildchild

if they want to be in this country, for cying out loud come into the country LEGAL

Clash181

I agree with you UnsilentMajorty .

Has anyone heard that they're even talking about building a wall which I am so against. That's going into scary 'Berlin Wall' territory and it would be useless to boot. Walls don't keep people out when they really want to get in.

I also wanted to mention that I am all for legal immigration. That's what this country was built on I don't think we should ever stop letting people in.

That's just it though, I don't think we are helping. I think we're using them to clean our houses and take care of our babies and pick our fruit for cheap. I think we're just as bad as Vincente Fox, just in a different way.

Ms Carolyn

Incidentally, I changed the topic of this thread to represent the overall theme under discussion, as opposed to one point of view. No offense meant, anyone!

Lexis

Well, I can't say I'd really care. It'd be odd because our Spanish speaking population is quite small but I think I'd take it as a kind of a compliment - that people wanted to express their loyalty to a new country while still honouring the language of their old one.

The article I read when this all blew up described the aim of the song as showing that someone make speak Spanish but they feel American. Although I agree, if you plan to immigrate somewhere, you should learn their language.

Priori Incantatem

Damn, you're absolutely right...it was a stupid gramatical error, and that is my pet peeve...didn't even bother reading the rest of you post though, I don't care how many "T"'s BriTTish has in it, and what does Spanish have to do with Latin? LATIN "AMERICANS' ARE SINGING OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM IN SPANISH.