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English-only testing will further isolate Hispanics

By Krissy Mallory

Staff Columnist

Published: Sunday, April 11, 2010

Updated: Sunday, April 11, 2010
Krissy Mallory

The chambers of commerce in Tennessee’s four biggest cities – Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville and Memphis – sent a letter to lawmakers in opposition of a bill that would require citizens take the written portion of drivers’ exams in English.

The bill is meant to promote safety among drivers. Supporters of the bill say that it is unsafe for citizens who are not proficient in English to drive because they may not be able to read traffic signs, even though there is no evidence supporting that language barriers cause more traffic accidents.

Most traffic signs are universal. Someone could travel to almost any country and still recognize stop, yield and merge signs.

The bill is discriminatory. I do not feel the inability to speak English causes a hazard to society. Some Tennesseans who support the bill may think that it helps tackle illegal immigration issues, but they fail to consider that some of those trying to get drivers’ licenses are legal citizens and should be able to enjoy the same rights as everyone else.

A bigger safety issue is that if the bill is passed, there will be more unlicensed drivers on the streets. Those who cannot attain licenses will still drive, and they will lack the training required to get a driver’s license.

Currently, those who take versions of the written exam in languages besides English must still be able to identify road signs and pass the practical portion of the driving exam in cities with English road signs. If they fail to be functional drivers due to English road signs, they aren’t granted a driver’s license.

The inability to drive would prevent those trying to learn English from driving to English classes or to jobs where they have interaction with others who speak English. Though the bill may be intended to keep our roads safe and urge immigrants to learn English, it actually isolates them, which makes learning the language even more difficult.

Tennessee currently offers drivers’ license exams in English, Spanish, Korean and Japanese. Tennessee business leaders say a bill forcing all citizens to take the exams in English could discourage international investors who are stimulating our economy, such as Volkswagen and Nissan, which have plants in Tennessee.

To appease business leaders, an amendment was adopted that would exempt those in Tennessee for investment reasons with work visas from having to take the test in English. This still sends the wrong message to investors and gives the state a bad reputation.

As a bilingual person in the workforce, I feel that the majority of Hispanic people I encounter are genuinely trying to learn English. I speak with several customers daily who appreciate that I speak to them in Spanish and English because they need to practice.

When I say words in Spanish that they don’t know in English, they ask me how to say them in English, because they have a true interest in learning our language.

It is difficult to learn another language without practicing it and communicating with others who speak it. Our focus should not be on isolating those who do not speak English but on helping them acquire the language skills they need.

Krissy Mallory is a senior majoring in journalism and Spanish. She can be reached at skm2i@mtsu.edu.

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http://www.mtsusidelines.com/opinions/e ... -1.1314228

2 Chronicles 7:14

It is written,... if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.