President Bush is disappointing some of his supporters with his stance on immigration. But I’m afraid that that he has always been something of a supporter of bilingualism and biculturalism. I know this may seem confusing and also contradictory of some aspects of his education policy. But here is what he said as a presidential candidate in 2000:
We are now one of the largest Spanish-speaking nations in the world. We’re a major source of Latin music, journalism, and culture. Just go to Miami, or San Antonio, Los Angeles, Chicago or West New York, New Jersey … and close your eyes and listen. You could just as easily be in Santo Domingo or Santiago, or San Miguel de Allende. For years our nation has debated this change. Some have praised it and others have resented it. By nominating me, my party has made a choice to welcome the new America.
He did not exlain why the rest of us should be happy about this, however.