Schwarzenegger urges immigrants to avoid Spanish-language media

[Peter Farruggio <pfarr@cal.berkeley.edu>]

> Schwarzenegger urges immigrants to avoid Spanish-language media
> Associated Press
> Jun. 14, 2007 04:28 PM
>
> SAN JOSE - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told a gathering of Hispanic 
> journalists that immigrants should avoid Spanish-language media if 
> they want to learn English quickly.
>
> "You've got to turn off the Spanish television set" and avoid 
> Spanish-language television, books and newspapers, the Republican 
> governor said Wednesday night at the annual convention of the 
> National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
>
> "You're just forced to speak English, and that just makes you learn 
> the language faster," Schwarzenegger said.
>
>
> "I know this sounds odd and this is the politically incorrect thing 
> to say, and I'm going to get myself in trouble," he said, noting 
> that he rarely spoke German and was forced to learn English when he 
> emigrated from Austria.
>
> Schwarzenegger was responding to a question about how Hispanic 
> students can improve academically. Many journalists for 
> Spanish-language organizations in the audience were surprised by the remarks.
>
> "I'm sitting shaking my head not believing that someone would be so 
> naive and out of it that he would say something like that," said 
> Alex Nogales, president and chief executive of the National Hispanic 
> Media Coalition.
>
> Hispanic immigrants need Spanish-language media to stay informed and 
> "function in this society," Nogales said.
>
> Schwarzenegger has garnered more Hispanic support than most 
> Republican governors in the past two elections, despite some 
> seemingly anti-immigration blunders - such as praising the Minutemen 
> border militia group on a talk radio show.
>
> Schwarzenegger also lauded President Bush's push for immigration 
> reform, saying the country has its first opportunity for change in decades.
>
> But he also said the Senate's current immigration reform proposal, 
> which failed last week, still needs more fine tuning so it can be enforced.