SCU professor of law Catherine Sandoval wrote an op ed on bilingualism that appeared in the San Jose Mercury News on Sunday, June 24th.
This op ed was written in response to Gov. Schwarzenegger’s suggestion that Latinos should "Turn off the Spanish television set." It highlights some of the distinctive content of Spanish and English-language media that influences audience choice of media language and content. It argues that bilingualism should be cultivated, not suppressed. Too often, the "immersion" approach to English leads to restrictive laws that limit access to services in other language. This problem is compounded by the lack of funding for English-language adults classes, leading to multi-year waiting lists. The op ed uses some of the research from the article Professor Sandoval is currently writing, "Separated but Not Equal, The Constitutionality of Defining an Antitrust Market by a Broadcast Program’s Language." Her previous article, "Antitrust Law on the Borderland of Language and Market Definition: Is there a Separate Spanish-Language Radio Market? A Case Study of the Merger of Univision and Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation, published by the University of San Francisco Law Review, Volume 40, Winter 2006, No. 2, argued that the Department of Justice did not meet the antitrust standards for establishing a separate market. Her current article will explore how those same factors indicate that classifying Spanish and English-language media as separate antitrust markets is a content-based distinction requiring strict scrutiny.
To read the op ed, go to: http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_6217652.
