This is absolutely ridiculous. I cannot the believe the lengths people will go to demonstrate the ignorance, intolerance and xenophobia. In Louisiana, school officials in Terrebonne Parish are considering a policy that would require all commencement speeches to be in English only. The proposal comes after the two Vietnamese American co-valedictorians at Ellender High School delivered part of their commencement address in Vietnamese last month: Calls in Louisiana to Require English at Commencement.
Last month, cousins Hue and Cindy Vo honored their parents for their sacrifices by briefly incorporating their native Vietnamese language into parts of their commencement speech, but also translating the words into English for the general audience. Now the school board is looking at this ridiculous English-only policy, apparently pushed by irate idiots who can't bear to hear any language spoken other than English. More here: Valedictorian's speech sets off call for English-only at graduations.
Let's be real. This proposal is not motivated by a desire to see America more English-proficient, as many English-only proponents generally argue. I'm going to guess there's something more sinister and intolerant at work here: a desire to suppress the diversity and multiculturalism of this school and community, which has a growing and flourishing Vietnamese American population.
Cindy said one sentence in Vietnamese, dedicated to her parents. The line, roughly translated, was a command to always be your own person. Hue spoke more at length in Vietnamese during her speech, expressing gratitude to her parents for the hardships they faced as immigrants. Would anyone have raised this kind of stink if the language in question had been French, Italian or Latin rather than Vietnamese?
There's no question these kids are proficient in English—they're the frickin' valedictorians! Bi-lingual co-valedictorians. In fact, it's a testament to their education that they come from family backgrounds where English was not the first language. The school board seems to have forgotten who the commencement ceremony is really for—the students and the loved ones that got them there. Did Hue and Cindy really go too far in trying to personally honor their parents for their sacrifices and struggles?
We should be celebrating these kids and how much they've accomplished. We should be proud and happy alongside their parents, who overcame a great deal to get to this moment. We should not be drafting discriminatory policies to stifle a graduate's culture and heritage. These words, from Hue's speech (in English), now ring rather ironic: "Ellender is very diverse. We have many cultures there. They encourage us to be an individual. That's why I love Ellender. It helped me be an Asian American and not be ashamed of it because no one judged me."
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