Posted on 07/09/2002 10:43:24 AM PDT by 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.
And you can be labeled a racist and nazi for saying that. I was, but then again, I understand, crying "racism" is the weapon of choice for many that hate America.
Well given their track record over the past 20 years, they kinda have a pattern....
Well maybe you are Native American. If not, actually a considerable number of folks living in what is now New Mexico spoke Spanish prior to the Mayflower showing up off Plymouth Rock. Several hundred thousand of their decendants now still live in the state. They almost all speak English, but oddly enough, many still speak Spanish too, which is unusual.
Absolutely they should be denied citizenship. Anyoine who can't demonstrate a minimum proficiency should be be denied. They shouldn't be required to read Shakespeare but there are minimum standards that should be met. And in the past people wanted to meet those standards. My best friendds grandparents came over from Italy and had to learn English from scratch. His grandmother absolutely refused to speak in Italian once she got here, her husband was more reticient because of his heavy accent, but he learned too. She refused to speak Italian because she WANTED to be an American...any immigrant who does not should leave.
Damn right. There ain't no welfare or social security system to rip off in Mexico baby. WE WANT OUR BENNIES !
In the glorious past, no one wanted to be a citizen who couldn't speak English? How sad. I'm disappointed to learn that.
May they turn south and keep on walking.
Uh huh. Hey... no habla? Hasta la vista, amigos. Jeez, this really is getting to be that proverbial nest of squabbling nationalities and ethnicities, isn't it. Ludicrous.
Your statement "After that or if they choose not to become citizens, they can speak whatever language they please." flies in the face of every other statement here...including Angelique's.
Refute my post with anything other than name-calling.
You claimed that you said NOTHING about Chad, that was a lie. You claimed that you refuted my points, that was a lie.
All you have done is make a fool out of yourself DeeDee...you are getting boring, irrelevant, and predictable.
Good night...
Dad retired two years ago, from his post as Senior Vice-president and CFO of a multi-billion dollar a year international corporation.
But you would have left him out of the country.
BTW, as an American citizen, when I want my non-English speaking parents to live with me, it's none of your damned business to impose conditions on my rights to have them by my side.
In that theoretical, you have no say so jack.
So, hasta la vista maricón.
We all feel so sorry for dissing you, Luis. Do you have a Hispanic race pimp, a sort of Mexican Jesse Jackson, to sic on us?
And you call yourself a conservative.
I think those Flagler and Volusia sharks need to be moved to a better location, wouldn't you say?
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