Judge orders San Luis Candidate to prove English proficiency (Representatives, elect, state)

[All American NYC]

Alejandrina Cabrera went before Yuma Superior Court Judge John Nelson after the San Luis City Council approved a motion in December asking for verification that she meets a state law requiring any person holding office in Arizona to be proficient in the English language.....Gimbut says many city officials and people who know Cabrera say she doesn't speak enough English to complete the obligations of a council member and because of this they want her to be disqualified from the race.

I have never understood how you can hold office without knowing English. It should be a requirement for every elected position.

[kevinm]

Why would an American citizen be fluent in anything BUT English?

[Bostonian123]

How did she even campaign?

[Bulldogdad]

Looks like another case for Eric Holder.

[11thHour]

Makes sense. If she can't make the requirement, then so long to her. She could always become proficient then try again later. It's a reasonable, sensible requirement. Good to see they aren't making an exception.

[Memphis1979]

Originally Posted by All American NYC

I have never understood how you can hold office without knowing English. It should be a requirement for every elected position.

Then you have every right as a citizen to try and get your representatives to push for that legislation.

Try not to feel to disappointed when it fails though.

[Emeraldmaiden]

Originally Posted by kevinm

Why would an American citizen be fluent in anything BUT English?

They're deaf and they're fluent in ASL?
They have relatives in other countries and they're fluent in those languages?
They prefer to be educated and learn more than one language to fluecy?
They're employed as an interpreter, and need to be fluent in the language they're interpreting?

There are lots of reasons Americans might also be fluent in another language. How about we don't want to look like complete narcissistic idiots?

[ABQConvict]

Originally Posted by kevinm

Why would an American citizen be fluent in anything BUT English?

My mother is an American citizen and she is fluent in several languages, not least English which she taught to native born, White Americans who could barely speak it properly.