Tower of Babel Anyone?

So here I am, driving down I 45, listening to Spanish 101 for idiots. I am doing my best to learn a language so I can actually learn to interact with those around me. I know what you are thinking, I’m finally over my fear of flying and off to some tropical vacation. Ah if that was only the reason. I’m learning Spanish so I can communicate with the guy building my fence, mowing my lawn, and building the deck. Well you get the picture.

When I was 7, I could not speak a word of English, and nor for that fact could my parents. We were immigrants to Canada, and fresh of the boat, literally. A new country where our native tongue was not widely spoken, other then in the many small Dutch communities that were dotted across North America. We learned english or we weren’t going to survive. Let me tell you, 1st grade was no picnic, and even up to the age of 12, I was pretty unsure of the English words for some things. It took a lot of effort for all of us to grasp a new language and in many ways a new culture. But learn it we did, there was already 2 official languages in our new country and they weren’t looking to add a third.

It was a little weird growing up in a country that on one hand had two official languages, and on the other hand could point at that simple fact, as the main reason for the division in the country. It was not a subtle difference; it felt as if there were two distinct nations.
The folks in Quebec even had a separatist party that was not above violence to achieve their separate agenda. I grew up in a school system that required the learning of French and signage in both English and French. The desire to hold onto one’s heritage can be a bit misguided at best. Over time the French spoken in Quebec became a very watered down version of the mother tongue spokenin France. Sometimes our reasoning to hold onto our past is overshadowed by the bigger need of the country we have chosen to be a part of.

Without a doubt there are huge lines drawn in the sand today. The division between south and north, black and white and of course the ever popular red and blue states, are very much still issues that divide us a nation. But over the years the one thing we did have was a common tongue. We may have had a different accent that could be associated with the region of the country you were from, but it was still a common language. I believe it is important. Life is confusing enough without having to throw in a translator; trust me on this one.

As I drive around my new neighborhood, I think it save to assume that 95% of the workforce is Spanish speaking. The work ethic is undeniable and the level of craftsmanship amazing. There is a huge need being filled by these workers and this will continue to be the case. Where I struggle is the lack of desire or even the need to learn the language. By providing non-English speaking classrooms and education systems, I believe the end result is a division that we will not soon recover from.

A separate but equal state doesn’t work; we all lose with that one.