Much more tomorrow on today's nutty press conference held by Tan Nguyen, the man who proclaimed this afternoon he would defeat Loretta Sanchez and blasted the Republican leadership for abandoning him (Tan Nguyen is the new Bob Dornan--we said it first until someone proves otherwise!). Nguyen and a campaign spokesperson claimed their infamous letter to Latinos in the 47th District warning that illegals and immigrants can't vote was wrongly interpreted--the Mexican Spanish word the world took for "immigrant" in the line, emigrado, actually refers to an immigrant who hasn't become a citizen but is in the country legally. We originally dismissed the semantics as laughable, but a call to mami y papi proved Nguyen right--but even then, the debate between my parents was loooong. Point is: Mexican Spanish is full of it.
However, we noticed something strange in the English translation of the letter that Nguyen distributed to an impatient press corp (more tomorrow) and insisted was the correct version that should've been translated into Spanish. A line in the Nguyen camp's translation states, "Private anti-immigration organizations may also bring a law suit to have access to this new computer system."
Problem is, there is nothing even close to that in the original Spanish letter. The sentence in question that corresponds to the above translation states, "Organizaciones en contra de la emigración podrán pedir información de este nuevo sistema computarizado." The literal, mami-approved translation of this is "Organizations against immigration will be able to ask for information from this new computer system." (The computer system in question, according to the letter, will verify all new voters in the upcoming election). Nothing about lawyers, nothing about "private," nothing about "access." Nguyen said a "respected" Spanish translator did the work for him. Awright, Nguyen folks: care to comment? (Probably not: neither Nguyen or his camp took many questions about much at the conference--more on that tomorrow).
More coverage at OC Blog, The Liberal OC, Orange Juice, and Andrew's Wild and Wonderful Blog.
October 22, 2006 22:10
[...] So why the change? As reported earlier, emigrado refers to immigrants who are legal but not citizens; imigrante refers to immigrants without distinction to legal status. The original letter tells readers non-citizens can't vote; La Opinión's version spins it so that readers think even former immigrants who are now citizens can't vote. [...]
October 23, 2006 05:10
[...] Tan Nguyen: The New Bob Dornan! [...]
October 23, 2006 07:10
'Mano: All points taken. And all points soon written about in this very blog!
October 23, 2006 07:10
Problem is, would a speaker of colloquial Spanish stop being an "emigrado" upon taking a US citizenship oath. Or would s/he consider him/herself both "emigrado" and "imigrante"?
That's really the gist of it.
And why was the letter sent only in Spanish (without the English "original")?
And the false letterhead?
And only to foreign-born Spanish-surnamed Democrats?
Paid for by an illegally large (and falsely sourced) campaign contribution?
I could go on an on...
October 23, 2006 15:10
[...] Listening to L.A.'s favorite boors and heard that Tan Nguyen will appear this Wednesday–maybe an in-studio appearance. As a preview of what may come, JohnKen spelled out Nguyen's last name to their listeners. JohnKen also praised my earlier post examining La Opinión's translation games, then went on to blast the "activist" who offered his Spanish translation services to Nguyen at yesterday's press conference . Um, pendejos: That was me. [...]
October 24, 2006 11:10
[...] Nguyen began by correcting McIntyre about his Vietnamese surname's proper pronounciation–"win" as opposed to "Nu-win," which ticked McIntyre off. Nguyen then went to claim recent polls show him beating 47th Congressional District incumbent Loretta Sanchez, polls that the boyos at OC Blog dismissed in a post I can't find (help, Jubal!). "I don't care about that," McIntyre told Nguyen. McIntyre then asked Nguyen if he was behind the infamous "immigrants can't vote" letter, to which Tan replied with his stock statement that he neither "authorized" nor "approved" the letter. McIntyre asked the same question again, to which Nguyen said no one connected to his campaign was behind the letter–this despite Nguyen admitting earlier that his office was behind the letter and him holding a press conference defending the letter. [...]
October 26, 2006 09:10
In my personal experience, no one treats los emigrados y los ilegales worse than those who are of Hispanic hetitage but were born here in the US.
Of course, as far as the translation goes, I am not surprised that los gabachos got it wrong, quizas quisieran asi, as they still do not get the difference between appellidos paternos y appellidos maternos, even on government documents, say for public assistance, or who is who in the jails and prisons..... It is no wonder there is such a problem for INS/ICE......
November 8, 2006 09:11
Wow!
Is Tan Nguyen for real? Does he real think hovering over people at a polling booth on November 7, will real help his cause? I think it might have worked in back in elementary school, I guess he does what has worked for him as an adult. He real should have step aside as he was asked by the party (he must think he is bigger than the party), but instead he will continue to disgrace himself, his family, the Vietnamese community, the GOP and Orange County. This guy was always way over his head; a) He never was a serious contender (who thinks that one letter to 14,000 will get him elected?), b) He sent out a letter that he did not comprehend (on letterhead that was not his by a couple who happen to be his friend and staff member), c) He first denies his campaign sent the letter, d) He accuses and fires his staff member for the letter, e) He does an about face and tries to re-hire his staff member, f) He has a tissy fit and blames the whole thing on his opponent, which brings me to his campaign theme which is "I Blame other for my shortcomings, I do not take full responsibility for my mistakes and do not show grace under pressure". Well, yesterday "Joe Public" "Told Him It Like It Is". How appropriate!
May 16, 2007 23:05
The "in" y "em" simply denote entry and exit, respectively. De mi parte, no conozco a ningun Mexicano que diga que emigrado quiera decir "an immigrant who hasn't become a citizen but is in the country legally". Chicanos, padres que le quiren dar la razon a su hijo, etc., si. Mexicanos? No. Bueno, hasta hoy.