The Constitution, the Bill of Rights and just about every decision by the U.S. Supreme Court have been written in English. But let a few announcements get made in Spanish on Metro, and it gets people’s attention.
Many of those writing in asked not to have their names used, so I won’t attach names to any of the following e-mails on the subject:
“I, too, wonder why Metro has recently started giving what sounds like equal time to Spanish in their station announcements, featuring an amateur-sounding voice, no less. Metro will no doubt claim there is a practical reason for this (accommodation etc.), but for many of us, it strikes us as a grating, misguided attempt that ultimately is counter-productive, especially given how diverse this region has become. On the Metro, you are just as likely to see and hear immigrants from the Caribbean, China, Russia, indeed, around the world, as Spanish speakers. The fact remains that English is the one language that has served to unite such peoples as they become Americans.”
“In my travels on other rail systems in the U.S., I don’t recall such a regular, heavy use of Spanish. Coming from the federal city of Washington that daily welcomes all stripes of Americans and global tourists, it seems Metro management is taking sides in what remains a very controversial issue and making us akin to Quebec. Let’s keep it simple and accommodate all riders with the one common language that that has unified generations upon generations of immigrants from all corners of the globe: English.”
“People should not be surprised to hear and see announcements in Spanish around the metropolitan area and around the capital of the world. Just because some people don’t look like typical Hispanics, it doesn’t mean that there are no Spanish commuters in this particular Metro line in which Ms. Debra commutes. All developed countries, especially in Europe, have this commodity of having signs and announcements in another language different from their own, mostly in English, in places of public services. This not only helps the immigrants, but also tourists who don’t speak the language.
“I agree with Ms. Debra that more language accommodations should be made for our diverse population, but Spanish is a ‘most’ since we are the largest group of immigrants. The U.S. needs to catch up with the rest of the world because it is lagging behind on this matter.”
Here’s the official statement from the agency’s public affairs office: “Metro has been playing Spanish announcements in the system for about three years now, covering subjects of safety and security, major service disruptions and emergencies. We look at them as another way to communicate with our customers. Recent demographic surveys have shown an increase in riders who identify themselves as Hispanic. As our region becomes increasingly diverse, we are exploring how best to communicate with riders, including more announcements in multiple languages.
“The current Spanish announcements follow the English version of the ‘See it, Say it and Is that your bag’ announcements, which have been playing more frequently since we stepped up security [last] month in light of the foiled aviation terrorist plot in London.”
Questions, comments, random musings? Write to Steve@ SprawlandCrawl.com.
