Children of immigrants fight and die in Iraq

[kskiska]

In the midst of the justifiable outrage we all feel about the torture and death of two American soldiers in Iraq and in the compassion and sympathy we feel for their families, one little fact seems to have gone almost unnoticed.

When Maria Vasquez, the mother of one of the fallen soldiers, Kristian Menchaca, issued a brief statement to the press saying "I am against the war and I feel very hurt by what happened to my son," she did so in Spanish.

Vasquez is a Mexican immigrant to this country. I have no idea what her legal status is and I don't know how well she speaks English. The only thing I know - after searching quite a number of sources - is that her public statements have been in Spanish.

That, in itself, would make her unwelcome in a number of places in this country. If you're on any e-mail circuit, you know what I mean. A great many of our fellow citizens are outraged by immigrants who don't know English, by Spanish-language billboards, by bilingual education.

Geno's Steak restaurant in Philadelphia made news recently when its owner posted a sign reading "This is America - when ordering, speak English!"
I hope if Vasquez ever travels to Philadelphia, someone reads that sign to her.

more…
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/column/index.php?ntid=88718&ntpid=1