Karl Sandwell-Weiss points us to a brewing brouhaha over Denver Public Library‘s plans for a branch emphasizing services to Spanish-speaking patrons. A member of Colorado’s Congressional delegation, Tom Tancredo, has sent an open letter to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper in which he expresses concerns about “further cultural balkanization”.
Hickenlooper has written a letter back, which read in part:
Because more than 20 percent of all Denver residents speak Spanish at home, the Library is interested in providing additional Spanish-language materials and services, but it is not considering any ‘conversion’ plan along the lines suggested in your question…. English is and will remain the primary language of the Denver Public Library.
I wasn’t able to find a complete transcript of that letter. However, one of Tancredo’s colleagues, Congresswoman Diana DeGette, is telling Tancredo to mind his own business and leave Denver’s governance alone (Denver is outside of Tancredo’s district).
It sounds as if things are warming up despite Denver’s mile-high altitude.
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