Response to Governor Ehrlich's Dismissive Remarks Regarding Multiculturalism

May 12/ 04

Governor
Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.
Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Governor Ehrlich,

Your remarks last week regarding multiculturalism as "bunk" and "crap" were outrageous and morally repugnant. As the mother of two wonderful, bicultural daughters and the wife of a Latino, I find your statements a direct offense to my family, friends and the diverse citizens of our state.

When we lived in El Salvador several years ago, my daughters were taught to be proud of their dual heritage. They acquired Spanish as their first language but I continued to speak English with them at home. They did not initially understand why it was so important for them to learn this strange language (English). Now that we live in the United States, they have realized how valuable it is to know two languages. English within a short time became their dominant language, but my husband and I have worked hard so that they maintain Spanish as their second language (and now my oldest daughter is learning her third language - Latin - at Blair High School).

Because of our hard work, our daughters are proud of their double heritage, and they are able to converse with friends and family from many countries. If someone asks them "what" they are, they say they are both: both Anglo and Latino. Most people respond very positively to this. Some, unfortunately, out of ignorance or intolerance, have stereotyped them or made assumptions about who they are and what they are capable of accomplishing in their lives. They have been the targets of derogatory names and hate speech by both children and adults, and have witnessed their friends and cousins being bullied and harassed because they look "darker" or speak with an accent.

I have worked as an ESOL teacher and now as an educator of ESOL teachers and I can assure you that the vast majority of immigrants want desperately to learn English. But this cannot come at the cost of their own cultural and ethnic identities. As a nation of immigrants, we need to embrace a wide diversity of cultures, languages, races and ethnicities. That is one of the characteristics that makes our country and the state of Maryland so wonderful. Yet with one sweeping statement you have trashed a huge segment of our people.

As a public figure, you have the responsibility to represent ALL of the residents of your state, not just the people who look like you and talk like you. Instead, your irresponsible remarks have served to stir up hatred and xenophobia, and show a disgraceful ignorance of our country's history and our current diversity. After you made this unthinking statement, CASA de Maryland, where my husband is the president, began to receive numerous hate calls telling people they should "just go back to their countries." Will my daughters be the next victims of this kind of hatred? Because of you, will they have to feel less secure as they walk to school or to the park? You must revoke this abhorrent message and apologize publicly before more serious consequences can occur.

Sincerely,

Dr. Barbara Dole Acosta
Adjunct Professor
Multicultural Education
George Mason University