Are there Announcements in Spanish at your team's stadium? There are at Giants Stadium (Red Bull) unfortunately. It's one thing if you are staging an international event like the Olympics where there are regulations calling for announcements in three languages or whatever. But there is no need for it in MLS. MLS is the USA's league, and we are an English speaking nation. I'm well aware that soccer appeals to our growing Hispanic population - but so what? They are Americans like anyone else. Soccer appeals to all groups - why not have announcements in Chinese and Arabic then? I have been to matches in other countries. In Germany when a goal is scored you hear it in German - no Turkish translation despite the large immigrant population there. In England you hear English. I was a the Backham match over the weekend, and a girl sitting behind me asked her parents why they were repeating everything in Spanish. They didn't know what to tell her. I guess the child was a little too young to understand the term "pander". Growing up in today's America she'll learn it soon enough.
In Chicago, they are usually tri-lingual -- English, Spanish and Polish. By the time the time all the annoucnements are made they have to make another announcement.
I've only heard 2 at a time... usually English and Spanish (although I went to "italian night" one time last year and they had an italian announcer) I don't think its that big of a deal... but i don't think there are many people in the stadium who aren't understanding what the english announcer is saying. Its not getting worked up over though.
I have often heard Polish also, but then again, with 2 small kids, I rarely get to as many games as I would like. But I agree with you, its no big deal and simply catering to your audience.
Thanks for the reply. Polish, I had no idea. I mean I knew there was aSupporters Group with some Polish members. Anyway, Spanish, Polish, or whatever I can't agree with it. You're right it's not the end of the world, and it's just a game. And if it was just a sports matter that would be one thing. The reason it bothers me is that Americans are having English-Spanish bilingualism shoved down our throats. Nobody is asking for public acceptance or feedback, it's just being done. But I guess that belongs in the Politics Forum.
I cant understand so many Americans resistance to simply hearing Spanish. What on earth is so offensive about it? I guess youre still a little too young to understand that the culture of any nation is constantly evolving.
I love the Spanish PA guy at RFK. You know it's about to be game time when you hear his 30-second long "Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Ceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Uuuuuuuuuuuniiiiiiteeeeeeeeeeeeeddddddddd" ring out from the PA.
The thing that has really changed in the last decade isn't the number of people that can't stand to hear spanish, it's the fact that they have internet access and can tell everyone about it.
I hate more that watching a match with spanish commentary. It's not offensive, just annoying. As far as the PA announcement goes, I'd rather they bail on the English AND the Spanish both. Just shut the F up and let the match speak for itself.
I kinda have to agree with the thread starter, to a point. Why is it that we assume that everyone from everywhere else in the world who comes here from another culture can speak English, but not the native spanish speakers? it's not "offensive", but it just takes too much time and is repetitive. I felt the same way in Canada at the u-20's, listening to the dual languages, as play was going on while they were slowing working their way through announcements of goals and/or substitutions, cards, etc. At least in Canada, they have a real excuse for it (the whole Quebec thing). But in the US, there simply isn't a real reason to do it. Having a lot of immigration from the south isn't enough.
Did you miss how our announcements included Polish. There are a few neighborhoods in Chicago where you can get farther with Polish or Spanish than English. This is true for other parts of the country as well.
RFK is on Piscataway land. Why aren't there announcements in Piscataway? I guess everyone has to be upset about something. I'm in a supporters group that sing some songs in Spanish. This means I'm part of the establishment that is pushing bilingualism on people. I've become the man. I guess like Homie the Clown, I've sold out.
Wow. Just wow. Starting with the fact that there are more Spanish speakers in California alone than there are French speakers in all of Canada... Or that Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth of the United States, and millions of Puerto Ricans live in New York (and throughout the country)... Wow. I can't believe that bilingual announcements bother people; that people shiver with an irrational anxiety that the Spanish Language is somehow sodomizing America. Calm down. It's just a language. It can't hurt you. And America has ALWAYS been a multilingual nation.
Yeah, but those people are also English speakers. Their children go to English speaking schools, they learn American history, etc. In Canada, there is essentially a separate system in Quebec. it's not about numbers dude. Again, it's not about being anxious ......... i speak spanish, and french, and portuguese, and a little bit of italian. it's just repetitive and silly to double up announcements under the theory (apparently) that native spanish speakers are not going to understand English at a sporting event in the US, despite expecting that every other person that comes from another country is diligent enough to learn English.
Making announcements in Spanish, or Polish, or whatever, is good business in a capitalist society. It's done because they are responding to their customer base. It's good business, not politics. If you object, than you're a commie who hates capitalism!
It has nothing to do with the "theory that native Spanish speakers are not going to understand English" announcements. It's about marketing. It's about appealing to your audience. And if a large (and growing) segment of you audience speaks Spanish, it's a good idea to speak to them in Spanish - even if it isn't absolutely necessary to do so. And if/when other linguistic groups make up a large enough portion of your audience (eg. Polish in Chicago) than it's appropriate to appeal to them as well. Like an above post said. It's not about politics. It's about business.
puerto is nOT a State but yes Our territory or should i say protectorate. (of cuba i guess) culturally yes we americans are multilingual culturally so is UK so is other places in the world. polictically the US is a english speaking nation......the canada situation is basically quebec wants to be a brat or that the rest of canada is really weak when challenging hard core Quebecois...
totally exactly, one of my favorite sounds, and they've kept it for 12 years that way. i'm not following you around or anything, just coincidence.