Valedictorian gives commencement speech in Spanish

[Valerie]

FTR - The article cites those percentages as all of California, not as the percentage of the class hearing the speech... A simple resolution was suggested in the article that bi-lingual written copies of the speech should have been provided, thus all would have been invited to understand his speech to the class.

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

38% Spanish. What of the other 62% that were left clueless to the address? They didn't earn a right to understand an address at THEIR graduation?

A) Is there some law prohibiting them from learning Spanish?

B) Don't know about you, but the Valedictorian speech at my graduation was given in English, and I can't remember a single thing about it. It could have just as well been given in Arabic or Ancient Greek.

How about deliver the address in Farsi and tell the hispanics there's no law prohibiting them from learning Farsi and...

If you want to deliver a valedictorian speech in Farsi - go for it. All you have to do is become valedictorian. I'm rooting for you!

....they should have if they wanted to understand what was said

Or they could ask their Spanish speaking peers what was said - but that would require white people talking to brown people, and we can't mix the races like that.


EDIT - Hey what do YOU do when someone is saying something and you want to be able to understand what they are saying but its not in English?

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

FTR - The article cites those percentages as all of California, not as the percentage of the class hearing the speech... A simple resolution was suggested in the article that bi-lingual written copies of the speech should have been provided, thus all would have been invited to understand his speech to the class.

What a great AFTER-THE-FACT solution. Don't Valedictorians know they are supposed to subject their speech to national scrutiny BEFORE its read?

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

As much as conservatives would like it, we have no official language. The kid earned valedictorian and in this country is free to give his address in the language of his choice

yes, becasue having a common tongue is like stupid or something....

What part of the speech did he say we should not have a common language?

 

[Valerie]

FTR - The article cites those percentages as all of California, not as the percentage of the class hearing the speech... A simple resolution was suggested in the article that bi-lingual written copies of the speech should have been provided, thus all would have been invited to understand his speech to the class.

What a great AFTER-THE-FACT solution. Don't Valedictorians know they are supposed to subject their speech to national scrutiny BEFORE its read?

just another leadership fail...

 

[rightwinger]

It is an incentive for English speaking kids to work harder

 

[Katzndogz]

Oh no, the solution has been proposed and it is a good one.

All of those in the audience who did not understand what was said should have had a translator translating at the exact same time the speaker was speaking! Or, just loudly said 'What did you say?" after every sentence.

Lovely. What we really want is a polyglot where no one understands what anyone else has to say.

 

[Katzndogz]

It is an incentive for English speaking kids to work harder

Because it's important to make yourself understood to the gardener.

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

Oh no, the solution has been proposed and it is a good one.

All of those in the audience who did not understand what was said should have had a translator translating at the exact same time the speaker was speaking! Or, just loudly said 'What did you say?" after every sentence.

Lovely. What we really want is a polyglot where no one understands what anyone else has to say.

They live in Californian in 2012. If they didn't take Spanish in high school they're morons anyway.

 

[Katzndogz]

Just because a student may have been forced into spanish classes doesn't mean they have lost their right to speak English.

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

Just because a student may have been forced into spanish classes doesn't mean they have lost their right to speak English.

Who's denying anyone the right to speak English?

 

[rightwinger]

It is an incentive for English speaking kids to work harder

Because it's important to make yourself understood to the gardener.

The EngLish speaking kids need to get off the video games and work harder at being valedictorian

Problem solved

 

[Unkotare]

Immigration benefits both political parties, Republicans for cheap labor, Democrats for future votes. America, maybe as many countries, has always wanted "cheap labor," first it was slaves, and indentured servants, then immigrants, and when the Irish stopped coming the country reached out to other areas of cheap labor, all the time lamenting and wailing about the types people coming into the United States, seems they weren't American and didn't even speak English.

This is not about immigration. You've got the wrong thread.

 

[Unkotare]

Or they could ask their Spanish speaking peers what was said - but that would require white people talking to brown people, and we can't mix the races like that.

Race baiting bullshit. Not unexpected from the likes of you.

 

[Annie]

Immigration benefits both political parties, Republicans for cheap labor, Democrats for future votes. America, maybe as many countries, has always wanted "cheap labor," first it was slaves, and indentured servants, then immigrants, and when the Irish stopped coming the country reached out to other areas of cheap labor, all the time lamenting and wailing about the types people coming into the United States, seems they weren't American and didn't even speak English.

Screw the parties, immigration, legal immigration, benefits the country. Legal immigration based upon the needs of our country and the opportunities offered to those seeking to come.

Today, with many areas of the country suffering unemployment rates of close to 25% for those 16-25, this is not a plan in the interest of our nation.

 

[manifold]

Ok, your 'he can say anything he wants' argument is simply not logical (neither is the "there are bigger things to worry about" bit). Leaving that aside, you don't find any problem with an AMERICAN high school commencement speech being given in Spanish or the fact that a portion of the audience would have to be expected not to understand what he was saying? Before you get all bent out of shape, I'm just posing the question, not pushing any one conclusion.

 

[mudwhistle]

Immigration benefits both political parties, Republicans for cheap labor, Democrats for future votes. America, maybe as many countries, has always wanted "cheap labor," first it was slaves, and indentured servants, then immigrants, and when the Irish stopped coming the country reached out to other areas of cheap labor, all the time lamenting and wailing about the types people coming into the United States, seems they weren't American and didn't even speak English.

This is not about immigration. You've got the wrong thread.

Didn't you know.......the new magic issue of the moment is immigration.

 

[manifold]

I've been to 5 or 6 high school graduation ceremonies in my life. All I can say is I wish the addresses were in another language so it would've been easier to tune out the awful drivel I've been subjected to every time.

 

[Trajan]

As much as conservatives would like it, we have no official language. The kid earned valedictorian and in this country is free to give his address in the language of his choice

yes, becasue having a common tongue is like stupid or something....

Having a common language does not mean you attempt to bar the speaking of other languages.

oh I see, so inclusiveness is only at work when YOU to construct it according to YOUR view...got it. ....

and the rest of my post? or is that to much for you to handle?

 

[Trajan]

It is an incentive for English speaking kids to work harder

oh so now you are advocating for english speakers to learn Spanish but not for spanish speakers to learn english, god you're just to much.