Kaylee Rucker College Preparatory English Cause and Effect Analysis December 7, 2016
"Why and When We Speak Spanish in Public" In Why and When We Speak Spanish in Public, Myriam Marquez defends the point that immigrants have always spoke in their native tongue and should be able to continue to do so. Marquez explains that America is a country based on freedom and equality for it's citizens. She believes that also means citizens have the right to choose to hold onto their culture in any way they wish. Marquez addresses that the problem is not just one had by the mexican people; she claims that immigrants of every ethnicity face this issue. Marquez discusses that immigrants throughout America’s history have always held onto their culture by speaking their native language and that was acceptable. Marquez justifies her claim by saying, “Pennsylvania even provided voting ballots written in German during much of the 1800s for those who weren’t fluent in English” (507). This fact about America’s past indicates that Marquez believes speaking a language other than English used to be more accepted. In addition, she discusses how some Americans think speaking a different language shows a lack of patriotism. Marquez said, “As if talking in Spanish… is some sort of litmus test used to gauge American patriotism” (507). She goes on to explain the different services immigrants have prepared and how they have shown that they are as American as any other people living in the United States. Just because some people may want to hold onto a culture that they are proud of does not mean that they are not Americans. Through her examples of America’s history and her own life experiences, Marquez explains why people speaking in their native tongue is acceptable.