White House dot gov / ESPANOL

The White House ^ | July 8, 2006

[skeptoid]

8 de julio de 2006
Discurso Radial del Presidente a la Nación
EL PRESIDENTE: Los estadounidenses están viviendo momentos de gran esperanza - y de gran oportunidad. Si mantenemos bajos nuestros impuestos, si mantenemos competitivo a nuestro país y si mantenemos a esta Nación acogedora, contribuiremos a nuestra prosperidad - y crearemos un mejor Estados Unidos para generaciones futuras.

Declaraciones del Presidente acerca de la Inmigración
EL PRESIDENTE: Acabo de tener una conversación realmente interesante. En primer lugar, este negocio es propiedad de dos hermanos iraní- estadounidenses. Son dueños de pequeñas empresas, son empresarios, están empleando a gente. Y luego conocí a la gerente de zona, que trabaja con los dos hermanos iraní- estadounidenses, que resulta ser estadounidense de origen guatemalteco. Está aprendiendo sobre el negocio. Está asumiendo responsabilidades adicionales. Luego hablé con el gerente del establecimiento, que es salvadoreño-estadounidense.

Discurso Radial del Presidente a la Nación
EL PRESIDENTE: El Cuatro de Julio, también honramos los sacrificios hechos por cada generación de estadounidenses para proteger las promesas de la Declaración de Independencia. Durante más de dos siglos -desde los acampamentos de Valley Forge hasta las montañas de Afganistán- los estadounidenses se han sacrificado por los principios de nuestra fundación.

[skeptoid]

I was just visiting the White House website to read some press transcript when I spotted the 'espanol' menu. I found what's posted in the body above. And this picture with caption:

El Presidente George W. Bush se dirige a los invitados
durante la celebración del Cinco de Mayo por la Casa
Blanca el jueves 4 de mayo de 2006 en el East Room.
Foto por Paul Morse de la Casa Blanca

And I suddenly realize that there is not an 'http://www.whitehouse.gov/norske/youbetcha' page to accomodate my Norwegian heritage. I'm the first generation of my family who grew up speaking English only and now I know why. The White House apparently has deliberately chosen to perpetuate the Mexican culture and preserve the Mexican/Spanish language while ignoring the contribution of my Salt-of-the-Earth Scandinavian Forefathers.

And as I contemplate the picture of the President in the White House celebrating the Mexican victory in the Battle of Puebla on the 5th of May, I wonder why he never celebrates Norwegian Independence Day on the 17th of May. I would rather see Syttende mai at the Hvit Hus than Cinco de Mayo por la Casa Blanca, since neither of them have anything to do with the founding of our precious Republic.

My ancestors, like most Mexican immigrants, came here for the opportunity, 'the promise of America', and while they spoke the old language for a while, they never demanded that the government deal in Norwegian.

Nor should it deal in Spanish.

[ncountylee]

Disgusting. Is Ebonics planned?

[Pyro7480]

If a person is accessing the White House website, using a computer, that person probably has the intelligence to learn a little English.

[H. Paul Pressler IV]

Bush, the first Latino President?

[Unicorn]

BTTT

[skeptoid]

There is nothing at all undesirable about being Latino. But while doing the business of government, one must be American, and the language of America is English.

[VRWC For Truth]

Reading the words Americans won't read.

[skeptoid]

The photo I posted is now changing on the http://www.whitehouse.gov/espanol/index.es.html page. Now we have:

[skeptoid]

The photo I posted is now changing on the http://www.whitehouse.gov/espanol/index.es.html page. Now we have:

[bobbyd]

wow

[KDD]

The photo I posted is now changing on the http://www.whitehouse.gov/espanol/index.es.html page. Now we have:

This is what I see.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Many countries (nonAnglophone) have English versions of government websites.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

And the government website is also, and primarily, in English.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Your point? Those people could be Americans . Younger Americans are increasingly not of European descent. Get used to that fact.

[BenLurkin]

Beinvenido a America, o por ustedes, "Aztlan". No habla Inglis? No problemo, amigos y amigas. Viva La Raza!"

[ladyjane]

Those people could be Americans

But they're probably not.

They are probably illegals with little loyalty to this country or this culture.

[SouthTexas]

We have celebrated may 17th for the last 28 years, daughter's birthday. :)

[ncountylee]

Many countries (nonAnglophone) have English versions of government websites.

Do you think that is to accommodate illegal American citizens living in their country?

[bobbyd]

mine also

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Mexico's official government website has a English version.

france's official government website has an English and a German version.

In fact there are very few if any official government websites of any nation that are only in one language.

Why would this upset you?