(English version at bottom)
La intención obvia del nuevo presidente de los Estados Unidos al eliminar del sitio web de la Casa Blanca su página en español es dificultar la vida de quienes hablan ese idioma para desalentar su flujo migratorio.
La intención obvia del nuevo presidente de los Estados Unidos al eliminar del sitio web de la Casa Blanca su página en español es dificultar la vida de quienes hablan ese idioma para desalentar su flujo migratorio.
Un intento excluyente que fracasará, porque históricamente ha sido un despropósito controlar desde la esfera estatal la manera en que las personas se comunican. No se logró en la fascista y represiva España de Franco, por ejemplo; y en la contemporánea Suiza neutral y civilizada se utilizan cinco o seis dialectos sin problemas. En Marruecos --otro ejemplo de diversidad lingüística y cultural-- hoy se hablan y escriben oficialmente --incluso con tres alfabetos distintos-- los idiomas árabe, francés y berber.
Los idiomas son entes vivos y a lo largo de los siglos las fusiones y los préstamos idiomáticos son inevitables. El inglés y el español mismos son producto de la mezcla y evolución de varias lenguas más antiguas. El Sr. Trump reniega de la historia e importancia que tiene el español en los Estados Unidos: no solamente lo hablamos los hispanos que vivimos aquí, sino millones de angloparlantes nativos que lo han aprendido con gusto por sus relaciones sociales y familiares, o por necesidades profesionales y comerciales.
Los idiomas con los que se identifica la gente de cada país provienen de un transitar histórico, y en última instancia, de un sentido práctico. Eso es algo que ningún decreto, muralla o gobernante puede por sí mismo imponer o detener. Así que buena suerte Mr. Donald, arremeta usted contra molinos de viento. Mientras, nosotros en México --como se acostumbra en todo el mundo-- seguiremos manteniendo en nuestros museos, sitios arqueológicos y sitios web, letreros explicativos en el idioma oficial de nuestro país --que es el español, claro-- con sus respectivas traducciones al inglés. Para que nos vayamos entendiendo.
The obvious intention of the new president of the United States to remove the White House's website in Spanish, is to make life difficult for those who speak this language in order to discourage their migration flow.
An exclusionary attempt that will fail, because historically it has been nonsense for the state to try to control the way in which people communicate. It was not achieved in Franco's fascist and repressive Spain, for example; and in the contemporary neutral and civilized Switzerland, five or six different dialects are used without problems. In Morocco --another example of linguistic and cultural diversity-- Arabic, French and Berber are now officially spoken and written-- even with three different alphabets.
Languages are living entities and over the centuries mergers and idiomatic loans are inevitable. English and Spanish are the product of the mixing and evolution of several older languages. Mr. Trump denies the history and importance of Spanish in the United States: now it is not only spoken by Hispanics who live here, but by millions of native English speakers who have learned it with joy because of their social and family relations, or just impelled by professional and commercial purposes.
The languages with which the people of each country identify themselves come from an historical journey, and, ultimately, from a practical sense. That is something that no decree, wall or chairman can impose or stop by itself. So, good luck Mr. Donald, charge yourself against windmills. Meanwhile, in Mexico --as it is customary throughout the world-- we will continue to maintain in our museums, archaeological sites and websites, explanatory signs in the official language of our country --which is Spanish, of course-- along with their respective translations into English. So that we can start to understand each other.
The obvious intention of the new president of the United States to remove the White House's website in Spanish, is to make life difficult for those who speak this language in order to discourage their migration flow.
An exclusionary attempt that will fail, because historically it has been nonsense for the state to try to control the way in which people communicate. It was not achieved in Franco's fascist and repressive Spain, for example; and in the contemporary neutral and civilized Switzerland, five or six different dialects are used without problems. In Morocco --another example of linguistic and cultural diversity-- Arabic, French and Berber are now officially spoken and written-- even with three different alphabets.
Languages are living entities and over the centuries mergers and idiomatic loans are inevitable. English and Spanish are the product of the mixing and evolution of several older languages. Mr. Trump denies the history and importance of Spanish in the United States: now it is not only spoken by Hispanics who live here, but by millions of native English speakers who have learned it with joy because of their social and family relations, or just impelled by professional and commercial purposes.
The languages with which the people of each country identify themselves come from an historical journey, and, ultimately, from a practical sense. That is something that no decree, wall or chairman can impose or stop by itself. So, good luck Mr. Donald, charge yourself against windmills. Meanwhile, in Mexico --as it is customary throughout the world-- we will continue to maintain in our museums, archaeological sites and websites, explanatory signs in the official language of our country --which is Spanish, of course-- along with their respective translations into English. So that we can start to understand each other.
