Singer's remark riles Hispanics -- Greeley debates 'English' comment

Denver Post ^ | July 9, 2002 | Michael Riley

[Tancredo Fan]

Singer's remark riles Hispanics -- Greeley debates 'English' comment

By Michael Riley
Denver Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 09, 2002

A country western singer who told his audience at the Greeley Independence Stampede that immigrants should learn to speak English ignited an emotional debate in a community that has seen an influx of Hispanics over the past decade.

Warner Brothers recording star Chad Brock said Monday that his comments were meant to express his "pride in being American." But Hispanic leaders said they were racist and the failure of Stampede organizers to condemn them shows the refusal to embrace newcomers.

Brock stepped on stage Friday to belt out hits like "Lighting Does the Work," but he salted his performance with some sharp opinions.

In a speech between sets, Brock said he was tired of having to adapt to the widening influence of the country's newcomers. "You are coming to our country. We don't speak Russian. We don't speak Spanish. We speak English here," Brock told an audience of 7,000, according to the Greeley Tribune. While many Hispanics in the audience walked out, people who attended the event said many non-Hispanics cheered.

Brock, a former pro wrestler, said Monday that the comments came out of an honest patriotic fervor, inspired in part by a recent court decision declaring the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional.

"I'm not a racist. I wasn't directing the comments toward any particular group. I was speaking my mind as an American" during the Fourth of July holiday, Brock said.

"But I had no idea there were so many Hispanics in Greeley," he said. "I didn't mean to offend anybody."

Hispanic leaders said "offend" doesn't even begin to cover it.

"His comments were bigoted, inflammatory and hateful," said Roberto Cordova, a local college professor.

The issue goes deeper than Brock, said Jorge Amaya, director of the Northern Colorado Latino Chamber of Commerce. "The problem isn't what Brock said. The problem is that our community leaders didn't step up to condemn it."

At a news conference Monday, the Hispanic leaders demanded an apology from city officials, the event's corporate sponsors and Stampede organizers. They said this isn't the first time the Stampede has offended the city's growing Hispanic population.

Citing poor ticket sales, Stampede organizers last year canceled the fiesta section of the annual event.

Stampede marketing director Kyle Holman said organizers wanted to make the fiesta more inclusive and renamed it Family Night.

"Mr. Brock has the right of free speech just like every other American," Holman said. "But his opinion aren't necessarily the opinions of the Greeley Stampede."

But some here said they share Brock's sentiments.

According to census figures, Greeley's Hispanic population nearly doubled in the 1990s, as immigrants, many with limited English skills, took jobs in the region's meat packing plants and feedlots.

As the ethnic makeup of schools and neighborhoods shifts, some residents say they feel left out. Language has become both a divide and a flashpoint.

"If we're going to communicate, everybody needs to speak the same language," said Billie Messner, a patron at a local coffee shop.

Greeley City Manager Leonard Wiest said the city is working to accommodate newcomers.

Brock said Monday that while he's sorry if his comments offended anyone, he won't apologize.

"I had the guts to speak out, but I think a lot of people feel the same way," he said.

[FITZ]

There have been several articles in the papers here --one third of the people don't speak English or speak no more than a handful of words in English and many have lived here over 20 years. One fifth speak only English or no more than a handful of words in Spanish ---in between there are varying levels of English proficiency but even they are not all fluent. Economically the area is in trouble and some are beginning to think part of it is language. It's a little hard to assimilate when you won't learn the language of the majority.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"It's a little hard to assimilate when you won't learn the language of the majority."

Abolutely.

BTW, who is the majority there?

[Torie]

To get more traction for your point of view, you will need some data for those over 18 that were born here. If those in that category in El Paso can't in general speak English, then Bush needs to use the heavy hand of the Feds to take over the schools, because something simply isn't working. But I doubt that that is the case.

[FITZ]

You and Luis might believe in promoting a common language so that all Americans can at least communicate on some level with one another ---but when you go back to the article for this thread the hostility to this singer by certain hispanic "leaders" and other hispanics was aroused just by his suggestion that immigrants should learn English. "A country western singer who told his audience at the Greeley Independence Stampede that immigrants should learn to speak English ignited an emotional debate in a community that has seen an influx of Hispanics over the past decade." You have to wonder why these "leaders" think immigrants should not learn the common language.

[Torie]

Don't be naughty now. Santa might not give you a present at Christmas.

[FITZ]

They have bilingual education here and about a 39% drop out rate. Many drop out in middle school and never learned much English, and sadly the Spanish many know won't get them far in Mexico either.

[FITZ]

BTW, who is the majority there?

The majority are still US born and 2 out of 3 people can speak some English so I'd say English speaking Americans are still the majority but that may change quickly, soon the majority will likely be Spanish speaking people from Mexico.

[avenir]

People get bolder as they see how easy it is to do so...in all walks of life and situations. Instead of "Oh, how wonderful to live in America" it becomes "You know, we've had a RIGHT to be here all along." People don't like humility very much at all.

Human nature. I see the same tendency in myself. Does anyone else?

[Tancredo Fan]

What next, Luis? Are you going to pull the usual Tim McVeigh sidestep as well? Hilarious. The difference is obvious; the risks to Americans would be reduced if the existing laws were strictly enforced (that means rounding up and removing your buddies using existing laws, Luis). Get a clue.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Like your namesake, you are long on bluster and short on intelligence. The comments suggesting that illegal aliens are somehow "my buddies" are simply a concession in your part to the fact that you have been defeated, and have nothing of any significance to add to the discussion.

My comments on this thread, are not about illegal aliens, they are about language, and whether the government has the right to impose the use of a common language on citizens. They do not.

Your lack of the necessary intelligence to understand that every thread that includes the word Hispanic isn't a thread about illegal aliens, is the real problem here. I find it hysterical that you think we should discuss whether illegal aliens should learn English. When you have an adult around, have them explain to you that whether illegal aliens learn to speak English or not is irrelevant...they're not suppossed to be here! What difference does it make what language they speak?

[bok]

Hey Mr. Gonzalez, the last time i checked the Spanish Armada was run off from these united states shores. Our form of government is mostly dervived from that of the British Empire and not some tin-horn spanish countries in mexico, cuba or anywhere else in the spanish colonized world. This country is being colonized and not immigrated to, let's get one thing straight these spanish speaker illegals are here for one thing and one thing only to send money back home. They have no intention or desire to assimilate into american way of life. Presidente Vicente Fox is trying to dictate U.S. foreign policy.

[Brownie74]

I have always wondered why people are in such a hurry to come to America, and then are in a hurry to turn it into the same 3rd world hell hole they just came from.

Excellent point Mark17. I have seen this happen from Miami to Los Angeles and points in between. Here in the DFW area they are shutting down some housing projects and moving the people into garden homes in fashionable neighborhoods.

In my next lifetime I am coming back as an illegal alien so I can get everything for nothing that dumb Americans have to work for.

[bok]

Do you see a problem with this? I see no reason for a foreign national to be campaigning in a state if the immigrants were assimilating.

July 08, 2002

Guatemalan candidate brings campaign to Southern Nevada

By Timothy Pratt LAS VEGAS SUN

Alvaro Colom, a soft-spoken business consultant who is running for president of Guatemala may have signaled a growing trend with his visit to Las Vegas last week.

The third-party candidate is probably the first Latin American political figure since Mexico President Vicente Fox to push plans on integrating immigrants living in the United States -- but he almost certainly won't be the last, observers said.

And he also won't be the last Latin leader to court Las Vegas on a par with urban centers like Los Angeles, Miami and New York when seeking support, both political and financial.

[calawah98]

Do you not agree the best thing to do would be to quit all the negatives posts about illegals, meet in the middle from both sides and see if we cannot come up with a solution to the problem?
My first idea
Make sure any one running for re-election or election be asked what their stand is on the illegal problem. I do not care whether it is a democrat or rebulican, if they say they are against all the benefits and so called rights, no ammensty then they are the ones to vote for. If we do not change the attitude of the congress and senate, we are lost anyway.
How many on this forum, do any thing positive about the problem? I belong to numbersusa.com where you can send free faxes to all the senators and reps from your state free faxes letting them know you are sick and tired of being over run by illegals.
Washington State, according to the 2000 census, gained 112% in non speaking or barely able to speak the English language. The majority of which has settled into three counties, of which one is where I live.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!

[Reaganwuzthebest]

You do realize that you contradicted yourself on that post, don't you?

No I didn't, but if you would like to point out in YOUR mind where I did, please feel free.

[bimbo]

… immigrants should learn to speak English…

This is what my grandfather was told in 1902. It was good advice then, and it is good advice now. My grandfather took the advice, became an American citizen, and loved America until the day he died. The immigrants who have different notions of America need to hear the message: “immigrants should learn to speak English” over, and over, and over, again, until they accept the message of America or go back to where they will be happier.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Your post has zero relevance to anything that I have been discussing on this thread. Not surprisingly, you understood zero of what I was talking about.

Show me a place where I have discussed ILLEGAL immigrants speaking English, I am discussing LEGAL immigrants, like myself. Just like the rest of the barely literate people that I have to keep correcting, you fail (or are unwilling) to understand that every discussion about immigration, isn't a discussion about illegal Mexican aliens.

I'll repeat myself yet again, I'll type slow so that even YOU understand this time. What is the purpose of demanding that illegal aliens speak English? They are not supposed to be here at all! Or would their learning English make them acceptable to you?

PS---Tell me when the Spanish Armada was run off the US shores, I am dying to hear.

[junta]

Never mind those barbs from the right wing defenders of multi-culturalism because that is a mania whose time is up and is about to start its decline. Your detractors are just as foolish as those Mexicans who run their mouths about the "Racist White Man" because the taboos put in place by the Left are starting to crumble revealing them to be lies.

[Bigg Red]

It is not unreasonable to expect people to speak a common language in commerce and government.

Exactly! They are the ones who suffer if they can't become part of the larger culture. Now, I admit that all the Spanish I know I learned from Taco Bell, but I heard someone with knowledge of the subject say that there are concepts of legal principles and our form of government for which there are no terms in Spanish. This person said that, in order to fully understand and thus partake of our way of life, a Spanish speaking person needs to learn our language. (I don't know if this applies to other languages too. This person was an expert on so-called bilingual education for Spanish speakers.