By Ivan Contreras

The Government Transportation Committee meeting, held last Wednesday at noon, lasted a little more than an hour but passed a favorable opinion on the initiative to make English the official state language. As is the custom in both chambers and in the entire assembly, when they are cooking up an amendment and the content corresponds to a pre-established agenda, more than looking for consensus, they steam roll their way to flatten the remains of all rights, even international (rights).

President Guy Liebmann categorically denied the different civil organizations present at the meeting the opportunity to express their opinions.

What happened on Wednesday opens a free path for the legislature to make an amendment to the state constitution to make English the official and only language. This will tentatively happen next November.

One of the most vehement defenders of Oklahoma’s multiculturalism was Chad Smith, Chief of the Cherokee Tribe, who firmly rejected the legislators’ arrogant attitude.

When he was interviewed outside of the chamber, he said that the government has taken initiatives like these throughout the centuries, “First they took our land; and then they took black people as slaves, now the immigrants.”

With a moderate expression, the tribal chief stated that the amendments that the legislators should make are exactly the opposite: “They should approve an Intelligence Law of Oklahoma which stimulates creativity and cultural diversity.” He also expressed his indignation for the lack of respect of the members of the committee who denied his right to speak as Chief of State.
On the other hand, Ed Romo, president of LULAC, said that what happened in this meeting shows that the government is trying to massively control people through language. That was shared by Gloria Sly, Leader of the Cherokee Nation, who also said that this legislative group has blocked the right of speech. “The goal has been to establish a control that has been implemented against the natives during 500 years. In the case of our tribes they have not been able to do it because we have empowered ourselves, but they have isolated us in our reservations”, she explained. She also shared her thought that the state is trying to establish something like a ghetto with the immigrant community. “The purpose may be exactly that, if you don’t learn to utilize their language to do business and communicate.”

Language Police
Alice Anderton, from the Language Diversity Coalition, explained that all this has been a severe blow for cultural diversity, since Terrill’s argument does not to help anybody, because his idea of cultural assimilation is precisely to kill culture. We are going to fight by all possible channels: the Lower Chamber of Congress will be the next step; if the governor signs the law we will keep going before the State Supreme Court”, she promised.

Tina Peña, a journalist from Tulsa, was more specific saying that the government will turn into a “Language Police.”

What follows

The proposition to implement English as the only and official language of the state has been overcoming all difficulties that have been put in its promoters’ way. So much so that it has been approved by the Senate and now the next committee has agreed to it and the bill will be now transferred to the House of Representatives and if it is approved, it will go directly to the desk of Governor Brad Henry to be signed and turned into state law. It has not been officially announced when this process will take place.

(Translation by Rosario Guerra)