Posted on 03/28/2015 7:20:00 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican U.S. senator for Texas, announced his bid for the White House on March 23, but has since been criticized for the release of a 30-second Spanish-language campaign video that references he's the son of a Cuban immigrant. Cruz did not narrate the video, nor has he spoken in Spanish in public events.
U.S. presidential candidate Ted Cruz has received criticism for his Spanish-language campaign advertisement despite making controversial comments about bilingual people.
Cruz, a Republican U.S. senator for Texas, announced his bid for the White House on March 23, which included the release of a 30-second Spanish-language campaign video that references he's the son of a Cuban immigrant. Cruz did not narrate the video, nor has he spoken in Spanish in public events.
In June 2012, then-Senate candidate Cruz refused to have a Republican primary debate in Spanish, stating, "Most Texans speak English. If we were in Mexico, if we were in Cuba, we do the debate in Spanish. ... My Spanish is lousy." According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Texas' Latino population is 38.4 percent, more than double the national average of 17.1 percent. He later added, "[My opponent] wants to do a debate in a language where the vast majority of primary voters don't understand it, because he doesn't want them to hear about his record."
The Cruz's Spanish-language video does not reference policies or issues, but his personal upbringing. The English-language video, however, is two minutes and 20 minutes in length and features Cruz narrating his policies against the Affordable Care Act and President Barack Obama's immigration executive action.
Cruz's "lousy" Spanish could be a disadvantage against two other potential GOP presidential candidates. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is fluent in Spanish and married to a Mexican-American philanthropist while Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is bilingual and son of Cuban American immigrants.
Cruz's view of the Spanish language continued during his 2012 campaign while attending an event in Austin. In response to a question about expanding unemployment benefits, Cruz detailed the story of his father's flight from Cuba to Texas in 1957.
According to the Dallas Morning News, Cruz said, "When my father came over here penniless with $100 sewn into his underwear, thank God some well-meaning liberal didn't come put his arm around him and say, 'Let me take care of you. Let me put you on the government dole [and] rob you of your self respect. And by the way, don't bother to learn English. Let me keep you in a language ghetto.'"
Cruz added the traditional "American Dream" is being destroyed by allowing people to continue using their native language and rely on government aid. Later, Cruz clarified that he is not worried about offending Latino voters about his statement in Austin. The then-senate candidate he wants immigrants to quickly learn English in the same manner immigrants from the several decades were pressured to learn the language.
As Latin Post reported, nearly 62 percent of U.S. Latino adults speak English or are bilingual. The Pew Research Center found that adults born to immigrant parents are most likely to communicate in both English and Spanish. In the meantime, the percentages of Latino adults who speak English vary by age and the amount of time the immigrants have spent in the U.S.
Cruz, first name Rafael, was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, through his Cuban father and American-citizen mother. He defended his right to run for the presidency, stating, "My parents -- as a legal matter, my mother is an American citizen by birth, and it's been federal law for two centuries, that the child for an American citizen born abroad is a natural citizen by birth, which is what the Constitution requires to run."
Cruz also "snubbed" an appearance at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC)'s Legislative Summit this week. According to USHCC President and CEO Javier Palomarez, Cruz "chose not to come" to the summit, which included speeches by U.S. senators and political leaders about Latinos' impact on the U.S. economy.
or use fake sign language. like the guy at mandela’s funeral
Or he could’ve said he was drafted by the New York Yankees like former NM Governor Bill Richardson.
Una cerveza por favor.
Una mas.
¿Donde esta el baño?
“or the Usurper. Remember what he called Cinco De Mayo. He said “Cinco De Quattro” Moron!”
I’m sure his Indonesian and Swahili are pretty good, though! /s;)
I know many Spanish that don’t speak Hispanic.
Well, that didn’t turn out right...blush.
As long as he speaks straight...I’m in.
Right. Name me a democrat candidate who speaks spamish.
All in good fun. Mexican word of the day: Bishop
Hey essay, my girlfriend fell down the stairs and I had to pick the bishop.
You can’t be authentically Hispanic unless you speak Spanish.
Cruz probably isn’t his real name anyway.
You betcha!
If this rag isn’t printed in Latin...it’s false advertizing.
In hoc signo vinces
"Hispanic" is a made-up word, so I guess you can make it mean anything you want.
Spanish was the first European language to have standardized grammar and spelling. It was purposely made that way, and with a very easy entry level, by royal decree so that los conquistadores could teach it to the many different natives they took over all over the world. E.G., Think of the jackass Spanish 1 taught in pubic hi skrools all over this country.
Cubans, Mexicans, Peruvians, etc. can understand each other perfectly well, even while correcting each other and all getting together to correct Argentines, whom they also understand perfectly well.
No surprise there. Many Americans cannot name their Congressional Representative, nor the capital of their state. Oddly enough, apparently many could tell you within a MM the size of a Kardashian posterior.
Guns, la derrière dela mocchelle is merely a DC tradition. When the Clintoons were running the show, it was absolutely verboten to photograph them from behind, ditto, the Gores. Tragically, in typical slipshod fashion, Barry has neglected to protect his wife by issuing a similar edict
If Michelle, Hillary, Tipper, and Al were to stand in a row, they could blot out the Sun and cause a climate crisis. Throw in* KrispyKremeKristy, and the entire Eastern Seaboard might go dark.
* not so easy.
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