Thread: WA: town of Latino immigrants learns to 'habla espanol'

L.A. Times Blogs
A Washington state town of Latino immigrants learns to 'habla espanol'

"Nearly everyone in this small farming community in eastern Washington speaks Spanish -- nearly everyone except those in city government and the Police Department, where English is spoken."

"And almost everyone who speaks one language does not speak the other," writes the Times' Stuart Glascock.

"That language barrier has engulfed the community, which has grown over the last 20 years from 300 to about 3,200 year-round residents. Nine out of 10 Mattawa residents speak Spanish at home, and 8 out of 10 adults speak English 'less than very well,' according to the 2000 U.S. Census."

"But the gap between an English-speaking city government and an overwhelmingly Spanish-speaking population has grown so wide that the federal government has stepped in to mandate that the city bridge the divide."

"After a legal aid group filed a Civil Rights Act complaint, the U.S. Department of Justice worked with the city and Police Department to develop a language assistance plan."

"Adopted in March, the plan is unique in Washington and is seen as a bellwether for cities with similar demographics. The plan requires Mattawa to employ at least one bilingual employee during regular business hours and to make vital information available in Spanish as well as English. It also requires the police to have qualified interpreters on call at all times."

May 26, 2008 in language | Permalink


Photo: Maybeline Pantileon is a new bilingual receptionist at Mattawa Town Hall, hired under an agreement with the Justice Department. A legal aid group had filed a Civil Rights Act complaint; the town didn’t provide formal language services. Kris Holland / Yakima Herald-Republic

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laplaza ... on-to.html

I wonder what the percentage of legal Latinos is. It sounds like it must have a limited number of employer and that the number of illegal immigrants is probably high.


There are huge potato farms in the area around Mattawa providing the J. R. Simplot and the Ochoa packing plants. The development of the area was relatively recent as the Grand Coulee Dam allowed massive land which had been arid to be irrigated.


HistoryLink Essay: Grant County -- Thumbnail History
http://www.historylink.org/essays/outpu ... le_id=8010

IMO, the judiciary is looking to appease foreign complainants rather than facilitate assimilation. Too bad for America's sovereignty. Perish the thought that our ultra-socialist judiciary would require the city to offer English training. Seems we're flushing ourselves. With luck, this little town will suffer 100% Anglo flight and without tax revenue, quickly sink into bankruptcy. Hopefully, when the people of Washington realize most of their cities are using state funds to pay these uncooperative aliens, they'll revolt. And even more hopefully, those cretins in the judiciary will recognize that states have rights too.

So, I suppose the next logical steps are: official bi-lingual policy; next, statewide bilingual policies; next statewide, multi-lingual policies; next, lawsuits if anyone violates these policies. I can see the writing on the wall.

BTW, that lawsuit on drivers licenses in Benton Co. Arkansas needs some amicus curiae input, I think. There are already international treaty provisions for people from other countries to drive here. There is no need for a judge to take further action to expand this privilege.