Just not right...

[lilchief00]

I wanted to write and ask everyone's opinion on how they feel toward a certian issue. I live in Oklahoma and it seems everywhere there is a sign, there is a sign below or next to it that is in Spainish. Don't get me wrong I'm not a prejudice person, but that makes me angry. This is why...Our people were stripped from homes and family and sent to boarding schools where they could not speak their native language and forced to learn English. Yet the government is now making our children learn forgien languages in school and putting up signs for people who are not even natives of this land and country. To me somthing is wrong with that picture. I realize it probably only effects those who live in the south, but I wanted to know everyone's opinion on the issue.

[stomp]

It's all about money

Myself, I think it's about money. We didn't see Hispanic foods in the grocery stores in abundance and varied choices til the influx of immigrants who speak Spanish. I think busniesses see that they are making a lot of $ off of the immigrants, so they decide to accomodate them.

...it's always about the $, ain't it? Either making it or taking it.

[chiznik]

No it is not just in the south. I live here in Michigan and the same occurs here. I agree with you it is about race or anything like that but just wondering why Spanish why not German or Japanese?

[MissFancyChick]

well probably since most immigrants are spanish speaking...

its probably the second most known language in the US... some jobs out here, where there are a lot of migrant workers... have spanish speaking as a plus... like at public asst offices... like DSHS...

[Chevy_truckin_NDN]

I'm from oklahoma and I don't see any signs where I'm at, but I don't live in a hood, or in a city, I live in the country, and where I'm at, the people are trying to pass English as the #1 language in Oklahoma. I don't have anything agains other brown skin people...LOL honestly, I don't, they are brown and I'm brown, so I don't think there's anything wrong with it.

Now if you live in hawaii, you'll notice that with every english posted sign, there's one in Japanese....I guess because, and this is my brother's opinion, they have a high population of Japanese speaking clientele.

Now I went down to Anadarko, and they have a casino there run by the Kiowas (at least I think it is) and they have signs that are in English and Kiowa. And hey, that's pretty neat to me, another group of brown skins trying to promote their culture and language.

so maybe that is what it is, brown skins proud of their heritage and culture...just like us skins (who are brown) promoting their own and most of their clientele are brown skins too. (I'm talking about the spanish language signs)....

okay that's enough, I've muddled thru this I need to get out of the serious threads and go back to chit chat...LOL

[2lineCarrandMorgan]

dear friends, we need historian here but untill he come by here is the best i can do
The mexican are indigous of Tahas or better known Texas now
and colarado and calf. new mexico and other western states.
texas was a land grant from Mexico to stevin f austin and will b Travis the grant incluided a sworn oath from the above ppl to go by mexico coustoms and aligence to mexico and they were given land in mexico to build towns and thay were giving a gun from mexico to defrnd thier new settlements. and they were supposed to send tax money to mexico.
well a long story short they turned on mexico and the battle of the almo happend where texas lost only one women and a baby got away becouse the prez of mex San Anna helped her away later the texas reformencets cought up with prez of mexico and won the battle of san josito were Prez of Mexico said on curse { he said he would rather see Tahas in ashes than to see his ppl as slaves
for two years texas was the lone star state and had its own prez. lamar bad man and he wanted all indian out of his new land cheted and stolde from mexicans in blood
so who lands is this any way.
i dont know if mexico went up into parts of ok but i bet part of it did.

sorry about my spelling and all the dots but i just thought i would try to tell you the truth about mexican and what happend,
DIOS BENDIGA ESTA HOGAR.IS WHAT I SAY WHILL I LIVE IN TAHAS
san Anna

[Chevy_truckin_NDN]

So you are saying, they are brown skinned peeps too?

LOL dang 2lines I enjoy reading your stuff.

[lilchief00]

Like I said in earlier, I'm not blaming ethnic background. I'm just saying if the government is promoting and accepting other ethnic groups from other countries, why can't we as the first people group be allowed to promote our cultures and language the same way? Out of all the minority groups we are the least represented in our own country. I just wish we could teach our culture openly in schools and other public venues like other cultures do. I work in Indian Education and I see how tainted our culture is presented and our younger generations are going to pay for it. That's the only point I was trying to make. So if it sounded like I was attacking one particular group, I wasn't...just an example. :)

[Lakota Wiyan]

I wonder where the Thread is that complains about the ENGLISH signs all around America!!! Let's start there since there are more of those signs than Spanish signs!!

It just irks me when Native people actually complain about Mexican folks come up to this part of the continent. Seems like most Native people would be more sympathetic and understanding about what it feels like to be distanced from your previous "stomping grounds", and how it feels to be looked down on when you visit places that your ancestors used to feely roam! Must be alot of Euro-American influence surrounding those minds.

Just cause the US Gov throws up it's borders, national, state, or reservation, doesn't diminish the historical knowledge of where people originated from. I guess it's more AMERICAN to gripe and groan about Mexican people than to understand....in fact.....that is EXACTLY what it is...the AMERICAN way of thinking.....

I think I'll stick to the Lakota way of thinking, and have respect and make a real effort to KNOW about other people before I start making a big fuss about other races trying to live and breather their own culture and actually hang on to their native language.

[Lakota Wiyan]

Like I said in earlier, I'm not blaming ethnic background. I'm just saying if the government is promoting and accepting other ethnic groups from other countries, why can't we as the first people group be allowed to promote our cultures and language the same way? Out of all the minority groups we are the least represented in our own country. I just wish we could teach our culture openly in schools and other public venues like other cultures do. I work in Indian Education and I see how tainted our culture is presented and our younger generations are going to pay for it. That's the only point I was trying to make. So if it sounded like I was attacking one particular group, I wasn't...just an example. :)

You should come to South Dakota and see how we teach our students about their culture IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS!! We even have several tribal colleges that offer degrees in our tribal culture, history and language. We also have agreements with surrounding states that the students who graduate with Nursing, Social Work and Teaching degrees from the colleges and universities, and who MIGHT work on or around reservations or high native populated areas, are required to take several classes in the culture and even the language. It's not such a rare thing to find...it just takes more work and less talking.....Eevn our public schools off the reservation are required to include Native, in our case, Lakota, education FROM Lakota people. Wow, I guess SD doesn't stink to bad. LOL

[Chevy_truckin_NDN]

Like I said in earlier, I'm not blaming ethnic background. I'm just saying if the government is promoting and accepting other ethnic groups from other countries, why can't we as the first people group be allowed to promote our cultures and language the same way? Out of all the minority groups we are the least represented in our own country. I just wish we could teach our culture openly in schools and other public venues like other cultures do. I work in Indian Education and I see how tainted our culture is presented and our younger generations are going to pay for it. That's the only point I was trying to make. So if it sounded like I was attacking one particular group, I wasn't...just an example. :)

These signs that you are seeing though? are they outside of government facilities? OR are they outside of privately owned business? I think maybe that is the key factor in your quest for answers.

For instance, I mentioned the kiowas earlier and their casino in Anadarko, its a tribally owned facility so basically they can run it anyway they want, within regulations by NIGA, but the posting of languages is totally up to the Tribe.

OR the McDonald's in Hawaii that has a Japanese menu, it's all about the clientele, who is your major profit generating group.

Just a thought there.

[Chevy_truckin_NDN]

Here in Oklahoma they have Cheyenne Language classes for everyone. For tribal members its free. I talked to someone in education and she's up to Conversational Cheyenne 4....now that's a riot isn't it?

[Migiziwomen]

by 2010 1 in 4 americans will be of mexican decent

I am sure you do not mean to come off as sounding prejudice but the flavor it there.

As for the school systems, well that is our own fault. and there are schools where our culture is taught openly. South High in Minneapolis teaches Spanish, Ojibwe, and Lakota I believe, but Ojibwe for sure. and because of community involvment we now have the following.....
Last week the Minneapolis School Board voted and it is now official that Thursday, Nov. 16 will be the first ever Native American Family & Community Involvement Day in the Minneapolis Public Schools!

All schools are expected to plan something, but four schools are receiving resources for special kick-off activities. They are Anishinabe Academy, Anne Sullivan, South High School & Four Directions. There will be a morning ceremony at Anishinabe & and an evening feast/mini-pow-wow at MAIC.

If you would like to help at the school sites or at the feast, please call me. We especially need help setting up for the evening event, serving food at the feast, and of course, clean-up!

this is an email that was sent to me it came with an flyer.

I cannot figure out how to upload this flyer but it is really beautiful, and well done.
and can you imagine how long these signs would be if we put all our languages on them? i really do think it is money that pushes the spanish words onto everything we see, and you know what i am glad it is there it shows growth and acceptance even if it is mostly an acceptance to the money. lol. do we really want to say if you come here learn the language?

Like I said in earlier, I'm not blaming ethnic background. I'm just saying if the government is promoting and accepting other ethnic groups from other countries, why can't we as the first people group be allowed to promote our cultures and language the same way? Out of all the minority groups we are the least represented in our own country. I just wish we could teach our culture openly in schools and other public venues like other cultures do. I work in Indian Education and I see how tainted our culture is presented and our younger generations are going to pay for it. That's the only point I was trying to make. So if it sounded like I was attacking one particular group, I wasn't...just an example. :)

[scorpiostwin11_76]

As I was reading through the posts, I started to form my opinion based on my views of the situation in this discussion. I am a rez raised gal turned urban native because of the housing shortage on my rez. Anyway.... When I drive through the city, go shopping, or visit the library, or sometimes in hospitals I see signs in both English and Spanish. In my opinion I don't see a problem with that formality because it isn't a real issue. At the end of the day they are just signs right? I

[lilchief00]

Well this discussion has certianly taken a wrong turn. :( I just wanted to get some opinions on the subject and it seems it struck a deep chord with some people. I'm happy that things up north are going so well for tribal cultures, and I'm glad that Hispanics are getting treated fairly. It's not about the signs, it's about the issue of being overlooked in a certian area again. I guess my communication skills on what I'm trying to ask or say just isn't coming out right. So again I want to say I didn't mean to put any bad feelings on anyone and I'm done with this issue. :)