The press is reading between the lines of every word, gesture, or silence produced by Trump. This is understandable. The man is unpredictable. It often seems that even he doesn’t know what his next act might be. Thus, people who are supposed to help their readers and viewers makes sense of the world feel a need to grasp whatever signals the new president creates.
This understood, there are many positions that Trump stated early and that have remained unchanged. Regarding Spanish, he has been consistent since the debate in September 2015 when he criticized Jeb Bush for speaking a language other than English. On that day, he said that the US “is a country where we speak English, not Spanish”. From that point forward, according to at least one article, Trump kept his campaign entirely in English:
This understood, there are many positions that Trump stated early and that have remained unchanged. Regarding Spanish, he has been consistent since the debate in September 2015 when he criticized Jeb Bush for speaking a language other than English. On that day, he said that the US “is a country where we speak English, not Spanish”. From that point forward, according to at least one article, Trump kept his campaign entirely in English:
Trump has not only failed to buy any Spanish-language television or radio ads, he so far has avoided even offering a translation of his website into Spanish.
With this in mind, it should not be a surprise that today’s news reports that the White House webpage no longer has an option for Spanish. While this could be a temporary consequence of his people making changes, it feels more likely that it is the continuation of the attitude that he has shown the language since at least the debate with Bush.
Sadly, it seems that we have a president who not only is happy to make citizens feel excluded, but who intends to emphasize that feeling.
Works Cited:
Goldmacher, Shane. "Trump’s English-only Campaign." POLITICO. Web. 22 Jan. 2017.
Sadly, it seems that we have a president who not only is happy to make citizens feel excluded, but who intends to emphasize that feeling.
Works Cited:
Goldmacher, Shane. "Trump’s English-only Campaign." POLITICO. Web. 22 Jan. 2017.
