Hampshire declares English official language with a response by Carlos T Mock, MD
Hampshire declares English official language
By Ray Quintanilla
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
Published April 20, 2007, 9:26 PM CDT
The tiny village of Hampshire has declared English its official language, prompting concerns from Hispanic groups.
"We don't want our tax dollars to be used to hire someone to translate," said Jeff Magnussen, village president of the Kane County community. Approved unanimously Thursday by the Village Board, the ordinance covers only local government correspondence, what is spoken during board meetings, and the village's Web site.
The measure, Magnussen said, is largely symbolic because it's filled with exceptions. These include providing information in Spanish and other languages in case of a health crisis, for public safety or to comply with federal or state laws, he said.
Although other communities in the state have discussed such ordinances, few, if any, have actually approved one, said Virginia Martinez, a staff attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. A similar measure has been discussed by several board members in Carpentersville.
Martinez said the move in Hampshire was prompted by a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment across the nation. "It's pretty clear this is about making life more difficult for one particular immigrant group," she said.
Magnussen said Hampshire has about 4,400 residents; only about 70 are Hispanic, according to the 2005 U.S. Census.
So far, 29 states, including Illinois, have adopted English as their official language, said Rob Toonkel, a spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. English, Inc., which promotes the language. Similar measures are pending in 13 other states.
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights called the Hampshire action misguided. What is needed, officials said, are more opportunities for immigrants to enroll in classes where English is taught.
"There is this misconception out there that Hispanics don't want to learn English," said group spokeswoman Catherine Salgado. "They do, there are just not enough places for them to get access to a class."
Martinez called the ordinance bad policy, especially if it limits the village's ability to communicate with segments of its community.
"What if there is a Spanish speaker who wants to report some public emergency and there's no one on the other end who can understand them," she said. "How does that help the community?"
rquintanilla@tribune.com
By Ray Quintanilla
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
Published April 20, 2007, 9:26 PM CDT
The tiny village of Hampshire has declared English its official language, prompting concerns from Hispanic groups.
"We don't want our tax dollars to be used to hire someone to translate," said Jeff Magnussen, village president of the Kane County community. Approved unanimously Thursday by the Village Board, the ordinance covers only local government correspondence, what is spoken during board meetings, and the village's Web site.
The measure, Magnussen said, is largely symbolic because it's filled with exceptions. These include providing information in Spanish and other languages in case of a health crisis, for public safety or to comply with federal or state laws, he said.
Although other communities in the state have discussed such ordinances, few, if any, have actually approved one, said Virginia Martinez, a staff attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. A similar measure has been discussed by several board members in Carpentersville.
Martinez said the move in Hampshire was prompted by a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment across the nation. "It's pretty clear this is about making life more difficult for one particular immigrant group," she said.
Magnussen said Hampshire has about 4,400 residents; only about 70 are Hispanic, according to the 2005 U.S. Census.
So far, 29 states, including Illinois, have adopted English as their official language, said Rob Toonkel, a spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. English, Inc., which promotes the language. Similar measures are pending in 13 other states.
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights called the Hampshire action misguided. What is needed, officials said, are more opportunities for immigrants to enroll in classes where English is taught.
"There is this misconception out there that Hispanics don't want to learn English," said group spokeswoman Catherine Salgado. "They do, there are just not enough places for them to get access to a class."
Martinez called the ordinance bad policy, especially if it limits the village's ability to communicate with segments of its community.
"What if there is a Spanish speaker who wants to report some public emergency and there's no one on the other end who can understand them," she said. "How does that help the community?"
rquintanilla@tribune.com
posted by Carlos T Mock at 8:20 AM
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