There’s been a big brouhaha lately about the Spanish version of the Star Spangled Banner. Just thought I’d weigh in.

I guess we all know where I stand on the immigration issue. To recap: I believe that all people — not just Americans — should have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I believe we need serious and immediate immigration reform in this country. And I believe that no wall should be built between the US and Mexico.

I’m also a Spanish speaker. I love the language. I love the people who speak it. I also think that if you’re in the USA, working, you should learn English. But I am absolutely NOT one of those people who condemn those that do not speak English. Languages can be very hard to learn. Americans are notorious for sucking royally at other languages (hell, we often suck at English). But, just as I shouldn’t move to a country whose language I don’t intend to learn, immigrants should not move to the US without trying to learn English at some point. But speaking or not speaking English is not the point, even though some people want it to be. The Star Spangled Banner’s Spanish counterpart was not created by people that didn’t speak English. It was written by dual-language speakers.

There are a lot of immigrants in the US from many different countries. But regarding this issue, we’re specifically speaking about immigrants from Mexico and South America. Spanish-speakers. Many, many Spanish-speaking immigrants speak English. They speak it fluently, in fact. They use it in their jobs and in their everyday lives to communicate. English proficiency is not an issue for many. But that doesn’t mean that they’re not going to speak Spanish at home. No matter how comfortable you are in a second, third, or fourth language, you’re probably going to be most comfortable in your native tongue.

So let’s forget, for the moment, all the illegal immigrants. All the non-citizens. For the sake of the argument, let’s focus on the Spanish-speaking American citizens. The puertorriqueños and the naturalized mexicanos, colombianos, costarricenses, argentinos, etc. They were either born US citizens or they studied, did the time, and have become citizens. They have as much a right to call themselves Americans as you and I. And so, in my opinion, they have every right to sing the National Anthem in whatever language they see fit.

The National Anthem SHOULD NOT be about exerting control over people. The National Anthem IS NOT meant to impose a national language. The National Anthem is about expressing pride in the United States of America. And if someone wants to express their pride in Spanish, then let them express their pride in Spanish! This does not mean that they believe that Spanish should become an official language of the United States. It doesn’t imply that they don’t speak English. It does not mean that they don’t know the English lyrics. It simply means that someone, somewhere would like to express their pride in the USA in their first language. So, let’s climb down off of our high horses and take our noses out of other people’s business. If it doesn’t affect you, why are you worrying about it? There have been remixes, new tunes, and different interpretations of the Star Spangled Banner ever since its inception. People have objected to those versions, too. But what the hell does it matter if someone wants to sing the National Anthem with a gospel beat?! The message is the same: God Bless the USA.

So what’s the problem with the new version? Well, if you’ve ever had any experience with translation, you know that it is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to translate something word-for-word while retaining the meaning and undertones of the original. And so, instead of attempting to translate word-for-word, the lyrics to Nuestro Himno (Our Hymn) are based on, but not directly translated from, the original lyrics of the Star Spangled Banner.

The Star Spangled Banner Chorus:
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Nuestro Himno:
Oh decid! Despliega a&uactue;n
Su hermosura estrellada
sobre tierra de libres,
la bandera sagrada?

My Translation of Nuestro Himno:
Oh say! Does its starred
beauty still wave
over the land of the free,
the sacred flag?

The translation is not offensive, in my opinion. If you’d like to see the entire text in Spanish and English, please click here. People have their panties in a twist because the Star Spangled Banner has been changed. Big deal. Again, is it really the tiny, individual syllables that matter, or is it the overall meaning of the song? Does it matter if I say “I love the USA” instead of “God bless America!”? In my opinion: no. The sentiment is there, and that’s what counts.

Unfortunately, this reminds me of the high school cliques that I so desperately wanted to escape. We’re acting superior and exclusive: “If you weren’t born here, and if you don’t speak ONLY English, then you’re not an American.” And that’s what it is. Because Nuestro Himno is not meant to replace the SSB; it�s not meant to become the official National Anthem; it’s simply meant to be a song sung by proud Americans who also speak Spanish. So I say we leave this issue alone and start to focus our energy on issues that should actually be debated. President Bush, anyone?