More blacks may favor English-only plan

Previous council votes, economics hint at support

By Janell Ross • THE TENNESSEAN • November 20, 2008

Blake Best is 23 years old, African-American and speaks Spanish well enough to function easily in Mexico.

That last fact is why Best says he supports a measure that would force all Metro Nashville business to be done in English. If he can learn Spanish, newcomers can learn English.

But some who hope to influence the outcome of a Jan. 22 special election — where voters will decide whether to approve a ban on government business being conducted, in most cases, in languages other than English — suspect Best's race could have a role in the way he votes, too.

While conventional wisdom suggests that one group with a history of poor treatment might be sympathetic to the struggles of another, there are hints of significant African-American support for the English-only proposal, which almost exclusively will affect immigrants.

And in a county where black voters make up at least 29 percent of the electorate, those who want to defeat the measure are discussing a strategy they say must be broad and meaningful enough to attract white and African-American voters.

"I think it is economically based," said Tom Negri, general manager of the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel and a member of Nashville for All of Us, a group that opposes the English-only measure. "There's no question that group of people who feel affected, who may feel like someone is taking something they need, may include a number of African-Americans.

"And if you just look at the economics, those who may be affected by the new arrivals may feel stronger that this initiative may be a good thing."

The median income for Davidson County residents overall was $41,994 in 2006, according to the latest U.S. census data. The same figures show the median income for black women was $30,510 and for black men was $34,832.

Ken Blake, director of the Middle Tennessee State University Poll, a twice-yearly survey of randomly selected Tennesseans, said Davidson County voters overall express more tolerant attitudes toward immigrants, Blake said. But there also is evidence that tolerance rises and falls with income.

"I think there is some evidence that lower-income people perceive greater competition from immigrants," he said. "And so from that you tend to find that they tend to support more restrictive, sometimes punitive immigration policies more frequently."

Council vote was clue
Another indicator of how Nashville's African-American community may lean on the issue is a council vote taken on a similar measure last year. After the measure's leading proponent, Councilman Eric Crafton, introduced what was then an English-first proposal, seven of the nine black council members present for the vote, or 78 percent, voted for it.

By comparison, 16 of the 28 white council members present, or 57 percent, voted for it. Then-Mayor Bill Purcell vetoed it.

Metro Councilman Ludye Wallace, an African-American, voted for the measure last year and this year signed one of the postcard petitions that helped put the measure on the ballot.

"I don't see it being any problem to reaffirm the fact that English is the No. 1 language," Wallace said. "… And I'm always in favor of letting the people have a say."

If the measure is discriminatory, it won't stand up in court, he said, and anyone who questions that should challenge it just the way African-Americans have challenged laws in the past.

Wallace said he wasn't sure how he would vote in January because he has "caught a lot of flak" from friends for supporting the English-only measure.

Learn native language

A campaign adviser to Nashville for All of Us said the African-American vote is vital to any issue in Metro Nashville. This election is particularly important because of its potential negative impact on business and the city's international standing, said Mike Kopp, co-owner of the Nashville marketing firm MMA Creative.

But Best, the Spanish speaker, doesn't see English-only as something that might be perceived as discriminatory or backward and turn people away from Nashville. It's just a matter of fairness, he said.

"I'm a Nashville native," he said. "I've lived here my whole life, but only recently have I seen the rise of all these other languages in business. If the situation were reversed, and I moved to another country, I would learn their language in accordance with their laws."

Voter Rhonda Bright, 52, also African-American, said she sees the measure as an incentive to learn English.

"If you are going to be a citizen of the U.S. or live here or whatever, you should at least learn the language," she said. "It would be best for them and best for us so that we can communicate."

When it comes to special elections, only small numbers of passionate voters will probably participate, said Michael McDonald, a George Mason University political scientist. So, for those working to pass the English-only measure and those working to defeat it, the key questions are what messages will they promote and who do they need to reach.

"Really, with an issue like this and these kind of dynamics that we're really just beginning to understand, it's anybody's guess what could happen," he said. "I think a lot of people will be watching."

Meanwhile, Crafton said his group, Nashville English First, won't be looking at racial dynamics when it promotes the issue.

"We think that having English as the government's official language is inclusive," he said.

Contact Janell Ross at 615-726-5982 or jross1@tennessean.com.
Michael Cass and Nicole Young contributed.

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