At a speech to the National Federation of Republican Women, Newt Gingrich expressed what many have considered to be the general conservative attitude towards bilingualism in the United States. During his speech Gingrich said, “The government should quit mandating that various documents be printed in any one of 700 languages depending on who randomly shows up” to vote the possible 2008 Republican presidential candidate said. “The American people believe English should be the official language of the government. … We should replace bilingual education with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country and they learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto. Citizenship requires passing a test on American history in English. If that’s true, then we do not have to create ballots in any language except English,” he said.
I do agree with the idea that if a person is going to be, or is, a citizen of the United States then they should conduct their business with the government in English. I think all citizens should vote in English, and I think everyone should fill out their income tax, or Social Security forms in English too. My jumping off point is when Newt calls all other languages that aren’t English, the language of the ghetto. Could a person make a more racist statement if they tried? Not all poor people who live in ghettos speak Spanish.
Most poor people in this country speak English. Gingrich should be ashamed of himself for the pandering to the lowest common conservative denominator. American kids are dumber than the rest of the developed world, not because other students from other places don’t speak English. The American students are behind  because they don’t develop foreign language skills.
Why is it that students from other countries can often speak two or more languages fluently, while most American kids lack basic speaking and writing skills in their native tongue? America is not the center of the world, and it would benefit our nation if future generations of students could speak more than just English.The rationale behind remarks like Gingrich’s totally denies the existence of a global economy.
I do believe that if people want to be citizens of the United States, then they should speak English, but I have always thought that if America’s students were going to be competitive with the rest of the world in the 21 Century, then better foreign language skills are vital. Remarks such as these may make Gingrich the darling of the conservatives, but they also mean that Newt would have no chance against any top Democrat in 2008.
Jason Easley is the editor of the politics zone at 411mania.com. Â His news column The Political Universe appears on Tuesdays and Fridays at www.411mania.com/politics
Jason can also be heard every Sunday afternoon at 1:30 pm (ET) as the host of The Political Universe Radio Show at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepoliticaluniverse 
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11 users commented in " Newt Gingrich and bilingualism "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackUnbelievable. I can’t believe this statement has not been followed by a public apology.
As Newt is not a racist man, naturally, he doesn’t see a clear, and astute observation as racist rhetoric. By default in the U.S. if you are can not speak English, the language of business, your socioeconomic status is unequivocally effected.
Gingrich has zero to be ashamed about. This is not a racist comment. You inject race into via your own psychological projection or guilt or whatever.
If you lived in the European Union, lets say in France: Arab tongues would be, and truly is, the language of the ghetto. Ghetto meaning poverty; not meaning inferior, not meaning stupid, but simply being a group with less means.
Newt said the word ghetto, not Hispanics. You associated the two words ghetto and Hispanics (hence my guess that your comments emanated from your own mental state as opposed to what Newt actually stated; this is not an insult, rather an observation). In my own mind I don’t associate Hispanic or Latin people with Ghettos; I associated poor people with ghettos. So when I heard Newt’s statement, while I knew some people would be sensitive, its a factually accurate statement (that if you don’t know English in the states its going to be an uphill battle, not impossible, but tougher to succeed economically).
As to Ashley’s comments…. when you say something that is wrong or do something that is wrong, then you apologize. If I wave at Ashley from a distance and she thinks I’m giving her the middle digit and demands an apology I’d kindly explain that I was simply waving. She can then do one of two things: accept my reasonable explanation or not accept it.
Anyway, those are my two cents.
Nick
If I’m not mistaken, I believe he’s saying that schools shouldn’t be required to teach others in their native tounges. That cost school systems lots of money that they don’t have. I didn’t read it as not being able to offer up a second language to learn.
As far as the ghetto comments, I don’t get that either and it wasn’t a good way for him to make a point.
I’d like to post something from onecosmos.blogspot.com. A short excerpt that sheds some light on “cultural sensitivities” and racism.
“I remember once about 15 years ago, there was a despicable manufactured controversy about the Lakers’ announcer Chick Hearn, an absolutely beloved and legendary figure in L.A. sports. I listened to him from the age of 10, and a part of me died with him in 2002, since which time it just hasn’t been the same, hoops-wise. Hearn is without a doubt the greatest basketball announcer in history, having spontaneously come up with most of its colorful vocabulary, such as slam dunk, dribble drive, popcorn machine, finger-roll, frozen rope, airball, yo-yo-ing up and down, give-and-go, garbage time, bunny hop in the pea patch, didn’t draw iron, nervous time, no harm no foul, tosses up a prayer, count if it goes, heart brrrrrreak!, and many others.
Anyway, one time Magic Johnson was bringing the ball up court and Chick says “his eyes are rolling around like a pinball machine!,” which they were. But sure enough, there was a press inquisition into whether this was a racist comment, since it supposedly brought to mind minstrel shows and degrading images of blacks with their eyes bugging out of their heads. As always, the racist left is obsessed with race but attributes this obsession to others, for who else but a twisted leftist would make this absurd connection?
Then, about a decade ago, the same thing happened when a player made a slam sunk and held onto the rim. Chick says “give that man a banana!” Once again, the foul-minded race baiters came out of the hardwood, wondering if Hearn realized what a racist comment this was to equate blacks and monkeys. Again, what kind of sick mind would make such a connection?
I suppose the same people who equate hurricanes and racism, or confuse liberation with occupation, or who cannot tell the difference between Israel and the Muslim savages who wish to destroy it, or who saw Karl Rove’s goofy rap routine and wonder if it was actually a racist insult.”
I simply am in horror…the language of prosperity? He isn’t ignorant, he’s racist – I do not live in the United States, and I am in total agreement that in Rome, you do as Romans do. Thus, in the United States, do everything in English – across the board, for everyone . You want to live there, you adhere.
But that comment of English being the language of prosperity and not of the ghetto – what do you call what your Americans speak in the South? In your trailer parks? THAT’S prosperity?
How are you going to get out of this one…or, do you care?
I am sure it wasn’t a mistake, it was a slip of the tongue…..your smile showed us you honestly beleive what you said
WHAT A BIGOT
If you want to see controversy you will. If you want to see racism you will. Newt was echoing a topic that has been debated over and over. I am sorry those that took offense were not conversant with or did not recognize this topic. Perhaps you might remember one of those espousing this opinion was Bill Cosby. It is not meant to be degrogatory or racist but descriptive. The language of prosperity is proper English as used in the business world where in the prosperity is derived. As was mentioned before, the language of the getto (regardless of what the language is called) is other than proper grammatically correct English. The subject is education, bilingual or other, not racism or anything else that might be read into his remarks.
This comment refers to joey’s comment “But that comment of English being the language of prosperity and not of the ghetto – what do you call what your Americans speak in the South? In your trailer parks? THAT’S prosperity?”
I Am an American that speaks English, and I was born in New Orleans and was raised in the south all my life. I also have lived in trailer parks off and on and in fact I had a double wide mobile home that was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina. I would like to know exactly what you mean when you ask, “THAT’S prosperity? I lived as well anyone else did and I do not consider ever living in the ghetto and I am offended by this remark if it is meant to be as it was taken.
I just finished doing a Google news search for Newt Gingrich and the amazing thing is how many news stories connect the Hispanic people and the Spanish language with “ghetto” in Newt’s remarks when Newt mentioned neither Hispanics or the beautiful Spanish language. Newt’s not the racist, he’s not making an absurd connection (that Hispanic people or the Spanish language is somehow the language of the ghetto). Its the racist/ignorant media who makes this connection and project their feelings of guilt (over their own racism/foul minds) into a totally coherent and clean observation by Gingrich. What hypocrites.
You all need to look up the word ghetto. It does not mean people of a specific race (black, Hispanic, etc.) but rather people of the same religion, social background, or economic position. Thus, Gingrich was not slamming blacks or Hispanics in particular. In many many cities (including mine) school books, ballots, etc. have to be printed in as many as 10 or 15 different languages. Taxpayers must fund the hiring of teachers who are fluent in all these diverse languages. Name another country that is as accommodating as the U.S. in mollifying and pandering to those who do not speak English. There are hundreds (many thousands) of immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for decades, but still have not bothered to learn English.
We continue to coddle and indulge such people because it is the politically correct thing to do. Immigrants are adopting an “in your face” attitude that is getting more aggressive with each passing day. Many women of illegal status are waiting until their 9th month of pregnancy to enter to the U.S. from Mexico. The result, they cannot be turned away from a hospital emergency room, and the children, born in the U.S., are automatically U.S. citizens. The mother cannot be deported because she would then be separated from her children. And the children are not forced to return to the mother’s country of origin because they are U.S. citizens AND would have to experience a lesser life style (!).
In a relatively few years white, Anglo-Saxon Americans will be a minority in their own country and the whores running for public office will be seeking the social group with the most votes – just as Bush did in Texas and his brother Jeb did in Florida. It will be impossible to be elected to public office without the votes of the non-English speaking majority. Gingrich tells the truth – a rarity among politicians – and the idiots who read only the headlines label him a racist or totally unqualified to enter the political arena. Bloggers to very little research – they just vent and bloviate.
Jan, I apologize for having offended you and others who live in the South/Trailer Parks…..I was just so upset at Newt I fell into exactly what he did….generalize….I have ended up with egg on my face.
To Chase.Hamil – no need to look up Ghetto – the vulgar use of the word is what’s being adjudicated here….you claim that “WE continue to coddle and indulge SUCH people because…..”…”and the IDIOTS who read only the headlines…”
Pass on to the other side, Chase; your fancy wording still doesn’t cover the fact your just another racist.
apology accepted joey, thank you
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