Does Bush’s Spanish Presage a Bilingual America?

“In his efforts to reach out to the American Hispanic community, former Republican leader Newt Gingrich sent out a greeting in Spanish to mark Cinco de Mayo, Mexico’s Independence Day. The message came from “El Hablador de la Casa,” which Gingrich’s staff thought meant “Speaker of the House,” but in fact translates more precisely as “Big Mouth of the House.” Accurate, perhaps, but not great politics.

U.S. President George W. Bush’s knowledge of Spanish may not be very good, but he is certainly not guilty of any similar gaffes. His recent radio address in English and Spanish to commemorate Cinco de Mayo was a serious attempt to connect with Latinos. Yet though the potential for political benefits through language are clearly there, there is also the possibility of a backlash. “

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