Having a young child I get to hear other parents complain about television a lot, and one of the complaints I have heard most often is that children's programming is force feeding children Spanish. As one parent put it, her child can barely handle English and Dora and Diego are trying to teach him Spanish.

Now, let me start by saying that I have no personal objection to Spanish being taught at an early age, or any language. I gre w up in the seventies watching the Electric Company and Villa Alegre, both of which had more Spanish content than any show today. In addition to that, I was surrounded by relatives who refused to be confined to one language, continually switching between English, Russian and Ukranian. And it was not just my family, various friends had parents or grandparents who would speak in German or Farsi, adding to my linguistic confusion. While I did not get the full benefit of all these languages around me, I was also not harmed by it. The worst result was na inability to look at foodstuffs without naming them in both English and Ukranian.

But I do not think the parents really believe it is harmful either. The fact that no one seems to complain about Nickelodeon's new Chinese themed show Ni Hao, Kai Lan argues that it is not so much the multilingual programming as it is Spanish programming which is the problem.  Which is not all that surprising, as America in general has a bit of a problem with Spanish, or at least with many of those who speak it.

Not that America is intolerant of immigrants. Far from it. Throughout our history we have been very eager to welcome people form other nations. Yes,a t times there were groups who opposed immigration. Some on racial grounds, some economic. Labor unions in particular opposed immigration because of the wage reductions brought about by a larger work force. And certain groups, Asians, Italians, eastern Europeans, Jews, the Irish, and others were specifically opposed at one time or another. But at most times those opposing immigration were a minority, and, overall, the US has been more open to immigrants than any other nation I can name.

However, there is something different about the resentment so many seem to feel toward Spanish speaking immigrants. Partly it is because so many came illegally, circumventing the laws of the nation. But even more than that, I think much of the opposition comes from the unwillingness of these immigrants to assimilate. It is not their insistence on retaining an ethnic identity, Italians, along with many others, did that and were not so disliked. Nor is it their continued use of Spanish, as the Chinese maintained Chinese speaking enclaves for a very long time without generating such anger.

No, I think it is the insistence, by both the Spanish speakers themselves, and their advocates on the left, that we bend over backward to accommodate them that really inspires such distaste. While other ethnic groups have also failed to learn English, they did not simultaneously insist that everything be printed int heir language. Phone menus never say "Press 3 for Chinese". It is only the Spanish speakers who get this special treatment, and that tends to upset many Americans. And I think that is at the root of many parents' dislike of Dora and Diego.

All of which makes for an interesting political question. Both parties have started trying to compete for the Hispanic vote, going out of their way to appeal to this growing block of voters, but often, in their attempts to appeal to Hispanics, these politicians have offended their non-Hispanic constituents. Actually, not just their non-Hispanic constituents, but many Hispanics as well. By trying to push amnesty for illegal aliens, or bilingual education, they have even manged to offend those Hispanics who speak English, or who came here legally, and who resent being associated with those who did not.

It is an interesting dilemma for politicians. The existing voting blocks are relatively static, two large, mostly equal partisan groups with a thin sliver of "independents" in the middle. The Hispanics offer one of the few growing blocks of voters, but if the politicians try too hard to win over this group, they may end up finally creating some change in the rest of the voting public, but none of it in their favor. Of course, none seem to realize that strong opposition to amnesty and illegals could sway those blocks just as easily in their favor, which makes me wonder about the myopic views of most politicians. They see a group of new voters, many of whom probably cannot vote legally, at least not without amnesty, and begin to drool, without realizing that a strong stand against amnesty could more easily sway a far greater number of voters.

But I have strayed too far from my original point. Let me close by saying simply that I think most parents are not so much offended by their children learning Spanish as they are upset by the fact that their children may one day HAVE to learn Spanish simply to get around n our society.

POSTSCRIPT

I was somewhat influenced in writing this by my wife's reactions to calls for amnesty. Her mother immigrated from Italy, a process which, at the time, required she both have a sponsor and learn English. When my wife hears complaints about the "heartlessness" of our treatment of illegals, she often becomes rather irate.

Nor is she alone. I have heard and read many Hispanic commentators, some with roots in the US dating back to the Mexican American War, who resent the fact that the media portrays all Hispanics as being both pro-amnesty and as boosters of bilingual education. In this new variation of the "all blacks are Democrats" myth, all Hispanics are portrayed as a monolithic block without any differing opinions. Not only is it inaccurate, it is insulting, and that is something politicians should keep in mind before pushing amnesty in hopes of winning "the Hispanic vote". It does no good to offend the people whose votes you are trying to buy through your legislation.