California must embrace transformation and back the language bill

[Harold Schiffman]

Editorial: California must embrace transformation and back the language bill

MediaNews editorial
Posted: 04/09/2009 12:01:00 AM PDT

IT'S TIME FOR Californians to embrace the remarkable ethnic and racial
transformation that's sweeping the state. In 1970, four of every five
Californians were non-Hispanic Caucasians. But by 2000, no racial or
ethnic group constituted a majority of the state's population. Most of
the growth has occurred among Asian and Latino populations. Today,
according to the Public Policy Institute of California, about one in
four Californians was born in another country.

Latinos will become the single largest ethnic group in California
within the next decade. By around 2040, they will constitute a
majority of the population. Already today, Latinos are the single
largest ethnic group among Californians under 35 years old and almost
half of all births in California are to Latina mothers. Appropriately,
state law prohibits employers from requiring that workers speak only
English on the job unless such a language requirement is a business
necessity. However, there is no prohibition on businesses establishing
language rules for patrons or participants in business activities.

That became stunningly clear last year when the Ladies Professional
Golf Association tried to establish a policy mandating that all
players speak English or risk suspension of their playing privileges.
The rule smacked of ethnocentrism that is antithetical to the cultural
diversity of the Golden State.

Moreover, the rule ignored that most major sports — including, for
example, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey
League and Major League Baseball — now work to showcase their
diversity rather than trying to hide it. Fortunately, sanity prevailed
and the LPGA backed away from its ill-conceived plan. Indeed, as we
said at the time, women golfers should be judged by how well they hit
a drive from the tee or sink a putt on the green, not how well they
can conjugate an English verb. That mindset should carry over to all
businesses in the state.

For that reason, we support state Sen. Leland Yee's bill, SB 242, that
would ban language restrictions in a business establishment unless the
rule is justified by a business necessity — specifically that it's
needed for the safe and efficient operation of the business and there
is no alternative to the language restriction that would be effective.
Passage of this legislation would send a strong signal that
Californians welcome and embrace the state's diversity.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_12099634?nclick_check=1

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