Nashville will continue to be a “welcoming,” “cultural mixing pot” reports the New York Times. (Hat tip: Blulitespecial)
Nashville voters on Thursday rejected a proposal to make English the city’s official language and largely prevent government workers from communicating in other languages.
[….]
Critics said the proposal would tarnish Nashville’s reputation as a cultural mixing pot and drive away immigrants and international businesses.
Big business helped defeat the proposal. Someone should check how many foreign laborers Mr. Oreck needs to build his vacuum cleaners.
“People here said Nashville is a warm, welcoming and friendly environment that celebrates diversity,” said Tom Oreck, an opponent of the proposal and the chairman of the Oreck Corporation, a vacuum cleaner manufacturer. “If this had passed, it would have sent an isolationist message in a global economy.”
What a bunch of bull. Studies increasingly show that employment of immigrants is impeded when the immigrants can’t speak English. Just a couple of days ago I posted on one such study from Bates College in Maine. Perhaps Mr. Oreck is afraid that if the workers learn English they will demand more of employers or move up to better paying jobs.
I won’t be buying any Oreck vacuum cleaner, that is for sure!
Here is an article from New English Review that will give you some more information on the sort of “melting pot” Nashville is today. Here are all the posts in which we have mentioned Nashville.