Jose Can You See?
José de la Isla     [Photo]

I have dual qualifications for commenting about President Bush’s belief that the National Anthem should be sung only in English.

Most of my conscious life, I have heard the “Star-Spangled Banner” sung inappropriately. Some people think they are oh, so clever, after meeting me and they say – you guessed it – “José, can you see…?”

When I was still an adolescent and through my mid-20s, I responded with, “by the dawn’s early light.” But later I thought better of it and just didn’t play along.

After all, the National Anthem’s real intended purpose was to inaugurate a public event, like a ball game. To sing along was an e pluribus unum reminder that out of many people one nation was formed. It wasn’t a derisive salute to those who bear my name.

But when President Bush hit the front page saying, “I think the National Anthem ought to be sung in English,” I was seriously confused. What had those people been doing all those years by singing the first line with a Spanish name, “José, can you see…”?

Of course, George W. Bush was reacting to the lyrics’ Spanish translation/interpretation by a group of transnational Latino pop stars singing the National Anthem in support of the migrants in the United States. So it seems it’s okay to ridicule those named José using the National Anthem but not to sing it with reverence.

I thought otherwise. What a nice tribute to the United States by those artists! And, oh, how misinterpreted! One newspaper called it “the latest flashpoint.”

Mainly, President Bush is still trying to placate those hopeless grumps that he often tries to appeal to with ideology, bad policy, metaphysics and steely words. Now they want to lock in the National Anthem.

I would have thought the president would have objected more to controversial singer Gloria Trevi as one of the performers than the song itself.

The real problem by some people with a Spanish version of the National Anthem is that they want to make the national vision, the idea of nationhood, a reminder of their heritage and history into a property.

They want to define it and own it so the rest of us can’t share in it.

Professor Ian Peddie, who wrote a book on music and social protest, said about this affair, the critics “are feeling some of their most sacred artifacts are under siege.”

And that’s the point. The National Anthem is not an artifact but culture. Culture is different from property. It is acquired by adaptation and education. It gains from its allure and promise. The Dream Killers are trying to take all that away and make you pay them. Don’t do it.

Then there is my other qualification for speaking authoritatively on this subject.

According to my oldest living relative, who is 94 and resides in Mexico City, among our distinguished ancestors is Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle. In 1792 he wrote a song to encourage others on. His song, La Marseillaise, was declared the French National Anthem in 1795.

It was so inspirational that English versions are readily available. My relative says she does not object to La Marseillaise’s lyrics in English or any human language.

Why? Because it’s culture, stupid.

(José de la Isla writes a weekly column for Hispanic Link News Service. He may be contacted by e-mail at joseisla3@yahoo.com)

© 2006, Hispanic Link News Service
05/07/06
END