Frederick County, like many others (see Baltimore Sun editorial about Anne Arundel County) is considering what's promoted as a "no-brainer" by the Board of County Commissioners: an ordinance that would officially designate English as the exclusive language for doing business in Frederick County. (public hearing 7 pm tues feb 21 @ winchester hall)
As many people have written in other places such as the Sun, the move can be viewed as pandering, an empty gesture that can be primarily chalked up to politicians' wish to play to anti-immigrant voters and their anxieties.
Federal law (such as, Occupational Health and Safety Administration requirements for translated Material Data Safety Sheets, for example) requires employers to accommodate employees whose primary language is not English*, so Frederick County will have to comply. (I'm waiting to see if the local point of view agrees with my research, to hear from county attorney John Mathias and risk manager Mike Beard, so stay tuned).
If you put this ordinance win the context of the current atmosphere of fiscal austerity, however, it sends the wrong message to managers and employees.
Today's is a world where the workplace and customer base is increasingly diverse, whether people want to accept it or not. When I worked at a large manufacturer with a diverse workforce (primarily Hispanic and Vietnamese), especially on the production lines, our company realized it was in our best interest to voluntarily provide safety signage and train managers in other languages.
With the passage of this ordinance, managers now have an unspoken signal: stay away from people with differences, as a matter of fact, to make your life simpler, don't even hire them. They may never write it in their job interview notes, but it will undoubtedly be in the backs of their minds as they look for employees who can fit within the communication parameters that are being set.
That's bad when there are hardworking legal immigrants in our community looking for work.
Our County Commissioners have missed the boat on this one. Hiding from the need to be diverse in public communications is a shortsighted; you won't find visionary American businesses hiding their heads in the sand.
*while the assumption is that hispanic immigrants are the dominant non-English language group, Frederick County Public schools' English Language Learners report notes that languages such as Burmese have large populations in our community as well.
1 comment:
Linda -- I noticed that sign myself, and was not just the misspelling that stood out.
Human beings are not dogs who have escaped from their yard, or mangy & neglected hounds, i.e. "strays".
This is an example of dehumanization.
Discussion about immigration (legal & illegal) is a legitimate topic for discussion. Dehumanization is the language of demagogues, it promotes hatred, and it is sad to see this so prominently promoted by any county resident.
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