I was listening to Radio Campesina 88.3 this morning on the drive in and there was a commercial that told callers to call Senator McCain's office and urge him to vote yes on the guest worker provisions of the Agriculture bill.
The commercial included the phrase "No importa su estado legal" That means "your legal status doesn't matter."
Spanish talk radio is famous for these campaigns. When I was chief of staff for the State Senate, Pete Rios was trying to build up pressure for his bill to give driver licenses to illegal aliens and the local Spanish stations were urging listeners to call the Senate President's office. We had no warning that we would be receiving thousands of calls from Spanish speakers and the traffic essentially shut down the Senate President's phones. That's not especially productive, but Rios and Radio Campesina probably thought it was funny.
We eventually re-routed the President's phone to someone who spoke Spanish and could handle the call traffic.
However, before we could make the transfer, we needed an interim solution. So I answered the President's phones. "La Migra. ¿En qué puedo servirle?" That means "Immigration Department, How may I help you."
Inevitably, there was a gasp, silence and then the line went dead.
I guess your legal status matters after all.
Dead phone lines, huh? If only there was a way to make the same thing happen in Costco, the shoe department of Dillard's, and any hospital cafeteria.
Posted by: Ann | November 16, 2007 at 01:22 PM
Except in the worldwide economy.
People take my money regardless of what language I speak.
Conversely, I'll sell you my product regardless of what language you speak.
Posted by: ron | November 16, 2007 at 01:51 PM
One addendum Greg. "La Migra" means more than a bureaucrat behind a desk, it means men in khaki shirts and olive pants driving a jade green truck. This might explain the haste of the dropped call!
I hope that the tally counters at McCain's office are taking this post into account as they communicate what the "constituents" are saying to the Senator.
Posted by: Carol | November 16, 2007 at 02:55 PM
Ron,
The worldwide economy infers buyers & sellers living in other parts of the world and trading the goods of one region to another. The purposely non-English speaking sub-culture in America today, and especially our state, is an aberration of such a system of trade.
Posted by: Ann | November 16, 2007 at 04:19 PM
We still have two border patrol agents in solitary confinement while the drug smuggler they shot in the butt and given immunity to testify against the agents is rearrested for doing GASP the same thing.
Forget open borders! The only rights illegals have is to get deported when they are caught breaking the law!
Posted by: vet66 | November 17, 2007 at 11:38 AM