Apparition
7th January 2011, 05:27 PM
The Autonomous Chapter of the Salt Lake City Brown Berets is denouncing a West Valley City program that encourages all residents to learn English, calling it a xenophobic measure.
The group is urging people to write letters to West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder and Councilman Steve Buhler condemning the initiative. Members are holding a meeting on Friday evening at 7490 S. 3200 West to discuss the measure.
“We understand certain people bending to the wishes of Minutemen,” member Daniel Argueta said. “This (initiative) is more to appease the anti-immigrant community.”
Buhler said he wrote the initiative before approaching the Utah Minutemen, a group that pushes for stricter enforcement of immigration laws, and denies that there is any discriminatory intent. He said all other feedback he’s gotten about the West Valley City English Initiative has been favorable.
“It sounds like they don’t really don’t want to live in America,” Buhler said of the Brown Berets. “They’re making up their own facts and stirring up trouble and misinforming others.”
Winder also said West Valley City is not xenophobic, pointing to its Cultural Celebration Center and large ethnic minority community.
“I encourage people to learn multiple languages but please make sure one of them is English,” Winder said.
The voluntary program was announced on Tuesday by Buhler and Winder at a news conference. Utah Minuteman Project Chairman Eli Cawley and state Sen. Luz Robles, D-Salt Lake City, both spoke in favor of the program.
The initiative urges all residents to learn English and businesses and housing providers to use English in signs, advertisements, promotions and menus. It also recognizes the value of learning multiple languages, including ancestral tongues.
In addition, it invites non-English speakers to visit www.englishwvc.org for a list of classes.
Argueta said most of the classes meet during the day, when the majority of people are working. He also said many businesses are successful by catering to certain ethnic markets.
“They talk about English being the language that everyone needs to prosper, but our people prosper if allowed to,” Argueta said.
The Salt Lake Brown Berets describes itself as a political organization that struggles to empower its community through education, culture and self-determination. It is not affiliated with the national Brown Berets organization.
“In a city where over 45 percent of the population are ethnic minorities, the languages and cultures of the people living in West Valley City needs to be respected,” a posting on the Salt Lake City group’s Facebook page says.
Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51006148-76/english-berets-brown-group.html.csp
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The group is urging people to write letters to West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder and Councilman Steve Buhler condemning the initiative. Members are holding a meeting on Friday evening at 7490 S. 3200 West to discuss the measure.
“We understand certain people bending to the wishes of Minutemen,” member Daniel Argueta said. “This (initiative) is more to appease the anti-immigrant community.”
Buhler said he wrote the initiative before approaching the Utah Minutemen, a group that pushes for stricter enforcement of immigration laws, and denies that there is any discriminatory intent. He said all other feedback he’s gotten about the West Valley City English Initiative has been favorable.
“It sounds like they don’t really don’t want to live in America,” Buhler said of the Brown Berets. “They’re making up their own facts and stirring up trouble and misinforming others.”
Winder also said West Valley City is not xenophobic, pointing to its Cultural Celebration Center and large ethnic minority community.
“I encourage people to learn multiple languages but please make sure one of them is English,” Winder said.
The voluntary program was announced on Tuesday by Buhler and Winder at a news conference. Utah Minuteman Project Chairman Eli Cawley and state Sen. Luz Robles, D-Salt Lake City, both spoke in favor of the program.
The initiative urges all residents to learn English and businesses and housing providers to use English in signs, advertisements, promotions and menus. It also recognizes the value of learning multiple languages, including ancestral tongues.
In addition, it invites non-English speakers to visit www.englishwvc.org for a list of classes.
Argueta said most of the classes meet during the day, when the majority of people are working. He also said many businesses are successful by catering to certain ethnic markets.
“They talk about English being the language that everyone needs to prosper, but our people prosper if allowed to,” Argueta said.
The Salt Lake Brown Berets describes itself as a political organization that struggles to empower its community through education, culture and self-determination. It is not affiliated with the national Brown Berets organization.
“In a city where over 45 percent of the population are ethnic minorities, the languages and cultures of the people living in West Valley City needs to be respected,” a posting on the Salt Lake City group’s Facebook page says.
Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51006148-76/english-berets-brown-group.html.csp
>:(