Cobb

Franks takes a swipe at theoritical multiculturalism as if it were the reason for playing nice nice with the immigrants. Having grown up in Los Angeles, and playing pickup soccer all through high school for what it's worth, I've always viewed multiculturalism as a formalization of what we do here anyway. Multiculturalism may need a jumpstart in Boston where they can't even cook decent barbecue ribs, much less understand Spanglish, but here in California it is de rigeur, if not de jure.

It is the ossification of the ethos which sets many conservative folks off. Multiculturalism won, and it still rubs people the wrong way. Stiil, but I think it the height of hypocrisy for those who are incapable of even a modest bit of Spanish to assert any mandate for mono- or bilingualism. Remember the old jokes they used to tell at my crusty prep school - Can you speak Spanish? No. How does it feel to be dumber than a Mexican? (Har Har!) My word on this is best illustrated by that wild man Ishmael Reed who appropriately says, if you're not speaking the language, you're not learning the culture. This cuts both ways, against kneejerk assimilationists who believe Mexican culture is inferior, and liberal activists who respect bilingualism in kids who don't read well in either language. The grain of truth is that the culture that lives on, lives on in literature, arts and philosophy but most people embroiled in immigration controversy aren't generally looking in that direction. When it comes to American politics, immigration is a racial and an economic issue, despite Mr. Franks honest protestations.

I have my gripes with multiculturalism. There's nothing more depressing than reading Marquez and very little reading Carlos Fuentes does for understanding the class of Mexicans and Mexican Americans we gringos mainly encounter. But considering the ignorant reaction of many political wags to the Bustamante -MEChA non-issue, every little bit helps.

Since I am in favor of empire, both internal and external and further that I recognize and respect class and am a staunch defender of pluralism, I am the kind of person that has no problem with what West Texas is. By my lights, El Paso is the ugliest city in the world. Then again I haven't been to Baku. Still it looks like something that might have survived a dirty bomb, barely. But if it and San Antonio, a horrific drive northeast by any standard (I did it 4 times two summers ago) went 80% Spanish language I cannot imagine that it would diminish America in the slightest. I think most Americans who are not Texans would be hard-pressed to tell us exactly what the main businesses are in either of those cities, although my guess for El Paso would be something to do with gravel.

My point is that in many ways West Texas is already an American Mexico, and everything is just dandy. Who are we to determine what is the proper character for an American city? If Deaborn, Michigan is suddenly recognized as the capital city if Islam in America are we suddenly to become upset with Dearborn?