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VA Proposal would ban all non-English government materials
I'm sure that would be no ill effects of such a measure. No Sir.
Proposal would ban non-English government materials
Richmond (Map, News) - An array of services Virginia agencies and local governments provide to non-English-speaking residents would become illegal under legislation a Woodbridge Republican has introduced in the General Assembly.
Del. Scott Lingamfelter’s bill would require that all government-written communication, ranging from informational fliers to Web sites to official documents, be in English and bar the material from being written in any other language.
“I knocked on 10,000 doors during the election, and I cannot tell you how many times people asked me why immigrants cannot speak English and ‘why do I have to press 1 for English?’” Lingamfelter said. “When you want to be a U.S. citizen, you need to learn English because it will create success for you and a legacy of speaking English for your offspring.”
The measure does allow exceptions for court and police documents, health care materials and schools. If the measure becomes law, for example, Arlington County could no longer maintain an official Web site in Spanish as well as English. Lingamfelter insists his measure is intended to help immigrants assimilate into Virginia’s culture, but John Steinbach, a coordinator with Mexicanos Sin Fronteras, said the bill is a political ploy to capitalize on anti-immigrant sentiment.
“This is just plain, old-fashioned xenophobia and intolerance,” he said. “It is mean-spirited, cynical and opportunistic. Immigrants work hard to learn English already, so this is not going to help the in any way. This is just for show.”
Greg Letique, the leader of the anti-illegal-immigration Help Save Manassas organization, said legal immigrants who come to Virginia are often preyed upon because they lack English skills. He also understands the concerns of Lingamfelter’s constituents who do not want to have to press 1 for English.
“What most people see is an assault on American culture,” he said. “They are being forced to deal with accommodations for foreign languages that they feel aren’t justified, but most people also miss the compassionate side. Whenever you are in a country and can’t communicate, you are relegated to a permanent underclass. It makes folks vulnerable to fraud and abuse. For those immigrants who come here legally, we need to do everything we can to encourage them to participate fully in our culture.”
jrogalsky@dcexaminer.com
Richmond (Map, News) - An array of services Virginia agencies and local governments provide to non-English-speaking residents would become illegal under legislation a Woodbridge Republican has introduced in the General Assembly.
Del. Scott Lingamfelter’s bill would require that all government-written communication, ranging from informational fliers to Web sites to official documents, be in English and bar the material from being written in any other language.
“I knocked on 10,000 doors during the election, and I cannot tell you how many times people asked me why immigrants cannot speak English and ‘why do I have to press 1 for English?’” Lingamfelter said. “When you want to be a U.S. citizen, you need to learn English because it will create success for you and a legacy of speaking English for your offspring.”
The measure does allow exceptions for court and police documents, health care materials and schools. If the measure becomes law, for example, Arlington County could no longer maintain an official Web site in Spanish as well as English. Lingamfelter insists his measure is intended to help immigrants assimilate into Virginia’s culture, but John Steinbach, a coordinator with Mexicanos Sin Fronteras, said the bill is a political ploy to capitalize on anti-immigrant sentiment.
“This is just plain, old-fashioned xenophobia and intolerance,” he said. “It is mean-spirited, cynical and opportunistic. Immigrants work hard to learn English already, so this is not going to help the in any way. This is just for show.”
Greg Letique, the leader of the anti-illegal-immigration Help Save Manassas organization, said legal immigrants who come to Virginia are often preyed upon because they lack English skills. He also understands the concerns of Lingamfelter’s constituents who do not want to have to press 1 for English.
“What most people see is an assault on American culture,” he said. “They are being forced to deal with accommodations for foreign languages that they feel aren’t justified, but most people also miss the compassionate side. Whenever you are in a country and can’t communicate, you are relegated to a permanent underclass. It makes folks vulnerable to fraud and abuse. For those immigrants who come here legally, we need to do everything we can to encourage them to participate fully in our culture.”
jrogalsky@dcexaminer.com
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