Language Barriers
"600 words by Esther J. Cepeda"
In the grand scheme of all the inappropriate remarks made at commencement speeches across the U.S. during graduation season – from snarky high-school clique announcements to college ceremony swearing – this one doesn't even come close, yet laws are being crafted as you read this to make certain this type never happens again.
Two co-valedictorian in Louisiana used one sentence of non-English language during their graduation speeches.
No, they didn't quote a long-dead philosopher in Latin, as many do. They didn't make offensive, disparaging remarks intended to disrespect their fellow students and faculty without their being able to understand them. It wasn't "'Ich bin ein Berliner'" though their intent was Kennedy-esque in aiming to bestow honor by speaking the native tongue of a special audience.
The young women, Cindy and Hue Vo, residents of Houma, La., dedicated one sentence to their Vietnamese immigrant family members which roughly translated into "always be your own person."
Terrebone Parish School District administrators were so distraught at this un-American display of a foreign tongue during their ceremony that according to the Associated Press which reported the story last weekend, officials there are forming a committee comprised of teachers to set school ceremony standards for the school board to adopt. Standards requiring English-only, and even other Bill of Rights benders such as requiring prayers during a ceremony. Not allowing, requiring.
Rickie Pitre, a board member, was quoted as saying, "I don't like them addressing in a foreign language. They should be in English." Man – that is cold!
Anyone who's been reading me for any length of time knows I'm all in favor of English-only in 99.9% of situations – English immersion is the number one way for immigrants to learn the language and culture of our country and translated everything is harming, not helping people acculturate – but this is ridiculous!
How trembling and frightened of anyone who's not exactly like them must a community be to risk becoming a national laughing-stock in the name of ensuring that no student ever utters a single non-English word of love or gratitude to a family member as a special acknowledgement?
The girls were not trying to make political statements, not trying to push a social agenda, not trying to disrespect the cultural or linguistic norms of their fellow students and teachers by cutting them out of their shared graduating experience. They just wanted to tell their families "I love you" in a special way.
"Out of the whole speech, it's one sentence dedicated to them to give thanks," Cindy Vo told an Associated Press reporter, "mine was personal and general for the entire Vietnamese community and something I wanted to share with graduates."
Her cousin Hue Vo remarked that she wanted to express gratitude to her parents for enduring the hardships of moving from Vietnam to the U.S. That would be the land of the free, last time I checked.
Being a buttoned-down, conservative-type, I'm sure Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, that state's first Indian governor, never wrestled with this sort of silliness. Rebuked among some of the Indian community for not being "Indian enough," I'm sure he always sticks to the English, but I'd bet even he's appalled.
If, sadly, we've become an America who no longer wants the world's tired or weary, and heck, let's just throw "uneducated" on that pile, preferring to only welcome the law-abiding, intelligent, and potentially profitable – which the Vo family certainly is – then for Pete's sake let's open our arms and stop harassing them at every turn.
Esther J. Cepeda writes the "600 Words" & "Pregunta del Dia" columns, and is also a Director at the Chicago-based United Neighborhood Organization. Her reporting and opinions do not necessarily reflect those of UNO. "600 words" is a registered trademark of EeJayCee, Inc., Copyright 2008. May be reprinted with permission, contact
A couple of corrections to an otherwise fine article:
First, no laws are being crafted to make sure this type of comment never happens again. Recommendations to the Board of Education perhaps, but not laws.
It is Terrebonne Parish, not Terrebone.
Posted by: David durham | July 19, 2008 at 08:54 PM
Nice article Esther. I want to tell your readers about a personal example, to let people know that this kind of thing does not only happen in the South. In 1990, I graduated Valedictorian from a Chicago Public High School, and gave most of my commencement speech in perfect English, as expected. But, like the young women in your article, I also added a few words at the end of my speech in a different language (Spanish) to thank my parents, and all of the other Spanish-speaking families present. Being the second-largest high school in Illinois, there were many Spanish-speaking families in attendance, as you can imagine. So I thought it was appropriate, yet afterwards I learned that some teachers and administrators disagreed. My AP-English teacher who reviewed my speech draft (sans Spanish ending, which was scribbled in later during a burst of inspiration) kindly stood up for me against the other teachers, so I can only guess what discussion went on backstage after commencement. But at the time, what did I care? I was young, energetic, and ready to leave high school behind, my diploma in hand, destined for college on the East Coast. I did not regret saying part of my speech in Spanish, and in fact was very proud of representing my Mexican heritage in front of the thousands filling the seats at the UIC Pavillion, and giving my parents a few moments to be rewarded for a job well done. I was the first Latino to be valedictorian at that high school, and I'm happy to say, I was not the last.
Posted by: Alberto Castillo | July 18, 2008 at 11:08 AM
a la chingada, esther, where is country going to...letting foranios talk in their own language...i mean they are from way over there...did we not get into a fight with those folks??? watchala, esther, sabes que...they should habla raza...you know son cafesitos...this way they wont be discriminados como chinitos...whats one more brown face speaking in a language these gringos don't understand...but check this out have you ever been south of the mason/dixon line??? i don't know what language they speak...'cause that ain’t real inglish...or down in luisiana...don't they have a form of bastardize french...??? carlton is right let them show their true colors...white sheet and hoods...'cause those vatos are never beneath the sun and their flesh like their ideologies are transparent...well hai estuvo con tubo...hasta later...esther...
servando...
Posted by: servando aguayo | July 03, 2008 at 01:02 AM
File this in the "I'll-bet-you column".
I'll bet you... that the real reason this backward rube-filled community is so upset has nothing to do with the language. It has to do with sitting on their folding metal chairs and watching two Vietnamese kids snatch the top prize for academic excellence from their own crosseyed-banjo-lovin'-overall-wearin'-yokel-inbreds. These racist hicks sat there waiting for a reason to jump up and lash out at the Vietnamese kids. Who knows... they might just succeed in requiring English only at graduations. But, we all know what they really want.. white only valedictorians.
As I understand it... next year they will also be trading in their graduation caps and gowns for Louisiana's all time favorite traditional garb... white hoods and sheets.
Posted by: Carlton Blanchard | July 02, 2008 at 05:44 PM
I am beginning to think some of these states should have their own reality shows. It is the only way the rest of the world will realize you are not making this stuff up. Vaya con Dios.
Posted by: Bill McCormick | July 02, 2008 at 02:10 PM