‘Is Spanish Wrong Signal?’

Linda Chavez cautions Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis that speaking Spanish on the campaign trail may somehow cause Latinos to abandon their commitment to learn English (“Is Spanish Wrong Signal to Latinos?” Op-Ed Page, Aug. 8). In fact, there is simply no debate that mastery of the English language is key to academic and economic success in America.

By her own statistics, Chavez demonstrates that her concerns are nothing but a straw man useful for pushing her own agenda as president of U.S. English: 95% of native born Mexican-Americans know English, a majority of second generation Mexican-Americans know English, a majority of second generation Mexican-Americans speak only English, and thousands of more recent immigrants are waiting for the classes that will teach them English. The evidence is overwhelmingly against Chavez; these are not the benchmarks of abandoned commitment, they are the product of constantly occurring assimilation in response to social and economic forces, not likely to be the least bit dampened by Dukakis’ use of Spanish. Quite the contrary, Dukakis sparks participative drives in Latinos.

Chavez sorely misses this far more important message that Dukakis sends to Latinos: that they are full participants in the American democratic process and that their voice ought to be as proudly heard in shaping America’s future, as their hands and hearts are in building it and keeping it free.

Political participation by Latinos has in the past been dismally low. Indeed, it was the great work of the late Willie Velasquez, as executive director of the Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project, that Dukakis honored, in English and in Spanish, in his nomination acceptance speech as “enriching us all.” To hear Dukakis speak in Spanish, my first language, the language of my parents, fills me, as a Latino, with great pride. Pride in immigrant Latino forefathers and mothers who, like mine, came to this country with great dreams, to eke out a hard life, in order to give their children a chance at a better one; and pride in so many of our youth who, despite adversity, have not squandered the opportunities that were so hard won for them. This is a pride in all Latinos that, like occasional words of Spanish, yearns to be heard.

Latinos concede love of country and a desire to serve to no one. There is clearly much yet to be done. As we find our way politically, we can and will do better in our pursuit of a prosperous, just, fair, and compassionate America, the America of father’s dreams.

“ Viva Mike Dukakis!”

LOUIS E. CALDERA

Los Angeles