By Marisa Trevino, KERA 90.1 commentator.
Dallas, TX – Latinos are a forgiving people, but our vice is that we have long memories. That's why we're not likely to forget anytime soon how Dan Morales, the Democratic candidate for Texas Governor, took it upon himself in last Friday's statewide televised debate against Tony Sanchez, to remind us that "in Texas we speak English as our primary language."
When he faced the camera in his opening remarks, shaking a half-clenched fist reiterating how Spanish should not be elevated to the same level as English, rather than a person seeking to be a voice for all people, Morales' posture seemed more reminiscent of the days when teachers berated Latino children for speaking Spanish in schoolyards.
Contrary to what Mr. Morales feels, Latinos do know the importance of English in this society. According to the Department of Education, student enrollment has more than quadrupled for ESL classes in the last two decades. In Texas alone, according to the Texas Education Agency, over 48,000 Latinos were enrolled in ESL classes in the 2000-2001 school year.
I really don't buy the general consensus that Morales proclaimed himself the Latino community's conscience for language, and broke the rules of the Spanish debate to speak in English, just to appease the majority electorate who were against the premise of a debate in Spanish. I feel he did it because he was outside his language comfort zone.
And that, in itself, is not shameful.
Though poll after poll is touted saying Latinos prefer Spanish to English, it is well known, within the Latino community, that a good many Latinos are more comfortable in English. For them, Spanish is relegated to family gatherings as a means of respectfully addressing the older family members who preside over the festivities. And that's okay. But it is shameful when someone stands behind a podium portraying himself as a proud speaker of the mother tongue only to ambush the speakers of that language with condescending admonishments to compensate for language deficiencies in expressing his views.
When Morales decided to break the rules and deliver his answers bilingually in the Spanish debate, it was obvious he wasn't trying to clue English-speakers into what he had just said. For one thing, the intended audience of the second debate were Spanish-speakers, or those Texans who revel in their appreciation and understanding of espa?ol. No, when Morales switched gears and answered in English, he was able to express himself with greater passion, clearer articulation and a fuller comprehension of what he had just said.
Perhaps we put too much pressure on Mr. Morales to debate in Spanish, and he felt the only way to save face was to do it. Obviously, he was kicking and screaming all the way and he made matters worse for himself with his act of self-righteousness in playing the language police. It would have been better if he had gone against the grain of the "professional politician," as Mr. Sanchez enjoys saying, and be honest about his Spanish comfort level.
Tell us you're proud to be Latino but that Spanish doesn't roll off your tongue as smoothly as butter melts from a griddle-hot tortilla. We would have understood.
As it was, many of us were left with the vision that the first bill a Governor Morales would sign into law wouldn't be for education or lowering taxes, but to make English the official language of Texas.
Marisa Trevino is a writer from Rowlett.