Freak

If I was American, I wouldn't give a shit.

(I'd also be fat and stupid, but that's another story! Hahahaha!)

The Canadian anthem is probably sung in a number of languages. Like Ino said, the official rendition is sung mostly in English, though parts of the middle are translated to French -- but I wouldn't be surprised either if other cultures in Canada have translated it.

If anything, America should embrace how a Mexican-American national anthem would represent a multi-cultural nation.

Dakstang

WC's Resident Redneck

I don't agree. I don't think that American kids should have to learn Spanish to communicate with the immigrants. That is what is happening now. Foreign language is required for a college degree, that is ridiculous.

Freak

Dak, if you traveled to any Western country, I'm certain you could get by just fine if all you spoke was the English language. Isn't that a double standard?

And hasn't it always been pretty common for some Americans to learn Spanish?

Dakstang

WC's Resident Redneck

Yeah, for quite a while Spanish has been offered in high school. I took two classes of it myself. Then when I get into college I found out that 12 hours were required for a degree. That is a bit much. I could see one class, but not four.

If a numerous amount of Americans were to move to say.....France, and refused to learn French and instead thought that the French should learn English to communicate with us do you think that it would be accepted? Of course not.

Ivy

If it is possible to do so without having to change the orginial content of the anthem, I don't see a problem with it.

That being said, I think Canada has their song available in English and French. While we're not in Canada, it would show we are open to change. This is the "new" America, embracing the traditional ways, while being willing to expand our horizions.

Dakstang

WC's Resident Redneck

Both French and English has been spoken in parts of Canada for a long time though. Spanish was not really widespread in the U.S. until fairly recently.

zapphnath

Most Americans, I'm sure, when travelling to another country, even for just a weekend vacation, take along a phrase book (or some kind of new-fangled electronic thingamadoohickey) so that they can communicate on, at least, a basic level.
Most immigrants to America, however, can't be bothered to even learn some simple phrases (Where's the bathroom? Do these pants make me look American?).

The Phantom

Well sometimes the Welsh national anthem is sung in English, I don't really like it (as a Welsh speaker myself) but I don't mind it happening. I will always sing my anthem in Welsh.

I'd probably feel the same if I was American, and some people were singing the anthem in Spanish. But at the end of the day it's just a song. Does it really matter what language it's sang in. Whatever language it's sang in it still has the same meanings.

Dakstang

WC's Resident Redneck

The problem with it for me is that I feel that it will cause some immigrants to not want to learn English. They will feel that they can make it in this country without learning it.....and I feel that they should.

They are also not translating the anthem word for word. I saw a translated version of the Spanish recording and it was not even close to our version.

Miakal

The reason America has no official language is because we knew that the mainstream could change at anytime. In 30 years English will be very close, if not all ready, to the minority.

I think it should be sung in Russian. Hail Stalin.