With my estimable co-host on the issue of the Army using Spanish recruiting stickers – I also imagine that I’ll end up disagreeing with a lot of conservative bloggers on this issue.
See, here’s the thing – to me, it’s a smart recruiting idea to use Spanish language recruiting tools. Like it not, this country has a large group of individuals that speak Spanish as their first language, and English as their second. Since you can’t join the Army if you’re an illegal alien, then I don’t care what language is your first when you make the choice to defend your country.
The other reason that this is a total non-issue is because all of the military’s testing material is in English anyway, so it’s not like you could actually pass the exams or anything without a functional understanding of English.
Honestly, I don’t understand why people would care if the Army was recruiting in Spanish. Personally, I think it’s a great idea. The military has a proud history of giving opportunities to immigrants and their children, why should the modern generation be any different? The important thing to see when a young kid who speaks Spanish as his first language signs up for the Army isn’t a Hispanic kid, but rather a young American making the choice to serve his country, regardless of where his parents were born. I’d much rather be proud of that man for his decision to serve than get all upset because he doesn’t speak perfect English.
As long as communication isn’t a problem, I agree 100%. But you not only have to have a firm grasp of the English language, but you have to speak it well enough that on a static-saturated radio, while under enemy fire, you can direct precision close air support. Most hispanic children raised in the US are completely fluent in English, with very little accent if any.
I might be upset if I were to be recruited in my native language, just to join and find out it was illegal (against policy) to speak it while conducting official business.
Unless they’ve changed that policy in recent years, you have to speak english while conducting Army business, and you have to speak it well enough for others to understand you.
It may not be wrong, but it’s not the smartest thing they’ve come up with. Better than “An Army of One” though. That was dumb.
Just like the big push lately with advertising to get parents to be okay with their offspring’s decision to join the military, advertising in Spanish (whether directed at the potential soldier or their parents) could certainly help to get the folks behind the decision. That’s got to help recruiting.
Well, actual ethnic nationalists would never* fight for an “oppressor” state, so they would never join.
*Except for the Honky Nationalists.
If it makes sense anywhere, it makes perfect sense in Puerto Rico.
Thousands of Puerto Ricans are in the Regular Army; thousands more are in the Puerto Rican National Guard. The Regular Army Soldiers get by as best they can, often learning English in Basic Training (Basic’s hard enough without trying to learn a new language as well, so kudos to them), but the National Guard Soldiers pretty much stick to Spanish, except in “mixed” company or on the radio.
gvi
SSG, USAR