President Bush had this to say. Sun Times:
President Bush said Friday the national anthem should be sung in English -- not Spanish -- in a blunt rejection of a new Spanish-language version. He also opposed a national work stoppage called for Monday to dramatize the importance of immigrants to the U.S. economy.
''I'm not a supporter of boycotts,'' Bush said, while restating his support for a comprehensive overhaul of immigration laws.
And there are differing views among the Hispanic community as well. Sun Times:
Urban Box Office President and CEO Adam Kidron encouraged radio managers across the country to play the tune simultaneously at 6 p.m., Chicago time, in honor of Monday's immigration rights rally and to show "solidarity in appreciating the generosity of America."
Univision Radio's operations manager Cesar Canales didn't take up Kidron's offer. Canales, who is of Mexican origin, refused to play "Nuestro Himno" on the bilingual station La Kalle and his company's two Spanish-language music stations, WOJO-FM and WPPN-FM.
Translating the anthem for those who don't understand English for "definition purposes" is one thing. But airing the Francis Scott Key-penned tune in Spanish is "wrong," Canales said, adding that many of the stations' on-air personalities support next week's demonstration.
"It's the national anthem. It should be in the language of the nation," he said.
Chicago unions are playing a big role in Monday's demonstrations, though the transit workers are taking a pass. There are threats to "close down" the city. Emma Lozano of Pueblo Sin Fronteras, (which roughly translates to people without borders) was instrumental in organizing the earlier March 10th demonstration in Chicago, which was sparked by a meeting in California she attended, held by the National Alliance for Human Rights, an umbrella group.
According to Business Week, the National Council of La Raza "does not support a boycott across the board, explaining it should be an individual decision".
Omar Lopez, head of the March 10 committee which is now organizing the May Day rally in Chicago, had this additional concern:
Along with national legalized status for all immigrants, the March 10 Committee hopes that talk generated at the rally will lead to better a grasp of state politics.
"We need to help undocumented workers -- how many, for instance, are driving without insurance?" Lopez asked.
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