Question

Read the article posted below and answer the following questions:

1. What is your reaction to Tom Brokaw’s interview responses regarding Hispanic people?
2. Some commentators (see the many comments and reactions that followed Tom Brokaw’s responses in the uploaded article) criticize Tom Brokaw’s views of Hispanic people. Which comments you favor or share? Why?
3. Which comments you reject or dismiss? Why?

Article:

NBC's Brokaw apologizes for saying Hispanics should 'work harder at assimilation'

NBC's Tom Brokaw on Sunday apologized for saying earlier in the day that Hispanics should "work harder at assimilation" during a conversation about xenophobia in the U.S. Brokaw tweeted his apology after he was criticized by some lawmakers and activists over his comments, which Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) called "ignorant." "[I] feel terrible a part of my comments on Hispanics offended some members of that proud culture," Brokaw tweeted. Brokaw's apology came in a series of disjointed tweets throughout the day. "From my days reporting on [Cesar Chavez] to documenting the many contributions of hispanics in all parts of our culture ... [I've] worked hard to knock down false stereo types," Brokaw wrote. "In my final comment in [Meet the Press, I] said ALL sides hv to work harder." "[I] am sorry, truly sorry, my comments were offensive to many," Brokaw wrote later. "[T]he great enduring [A]merican tradition of diversity is to be celebrated and cherished." Brokaw is a veteran journalist best known for having hosted all three of NBC's major news shows: "The Today Show," "NBC Nightly News," and "Meet the Press." He was appearing as a guest on "Meet the Press" when the topic of immigration came up. "A lot of this, we don't want to talk about," Brokaw said. "But the fact is, on the Republican side, a lot of people see the rise of an extraordinary, important, new constituent in American politics, Hispanics, who will come here and all be Democrats." "Also, I hear, when I push people a little harder, 'Well, I don't know whether I want brown grandbabies,'" Brokaw added without elaborating. "I mean, that's also a part of it." "It's the intermarriage that is going on and the cultures that are conflicting with each other," Brokaw said. "I also happen to believe that the Hispanics should work harder at assimilation. That's one of the things I've been saying for a long time." "You know, they ought not to be just codified in their communities but make sure that all their kids are learning to speak English, and that they feel comfortable in the communities," Brokaw concluded. "And that's going to take outreach on both sides, frankly." "PBS NewsHour" White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor, who also appeared on the panel, responded by telling Brokaw that his sentiment was "troubling." "I would just say that we also need to adjust what we think of as America," Alcindor said. "You're talking about assimilation. I grew up in Miami, where people speak Spanish, but their kids speak English. And the idea that we think Americans can only speak English, as if Spanish and other languages wasn't always part of America, is, in some ways, troubling."

Comments:

- What a mess. The part where he says "it's the inter-marriage that is going on" and the fear of "brown grand babies" is just depressing. "Fear of Brown Grand Babies" sounds like the name of a skinhead band that could be found playing at a Richard Spencer gathering. Josh MarshallVerified account

- At first he seemed to be hanging on what GOPs think. But then he kind of slid into "look, we're all worried about the brown babies." Felipe EscamillaVerified account

- It's the "I *ALSO* believe..." part that really makes you realize he shares all of these beliefs. Josh MarshallVerified account

- He rode "The Greatest Generation" to venerable status without understanding what they were trying to achieve. At all. Jake Hamb

- The lead in actually needs to be a part of the story line! I've seen the "assimilation" part of this all day. Hardly any on the very racist "brown grand babies"; "It's the intermarriage that's going on" part of this. This is not normal talk! Josh MarshallVerified account

- I see this reaction a lot among folks who grew up in white, rural places. Had Brokaw grown up in my hometown in Rhode Island he’d have seen assimilation in real time. But in South Dakota he wasn’t exposed to that.

-My Dad grew up in an Italian American neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY. His Sicilian born grandparents only spoke Italian. His parents (father born in Sicily, mother born in NY) spoke Italian at home and English in public with non-Italian speakers.

- This played out everywhere in the US. My French Canadian side of the family lived in Upper Michigan and my great grandparents never learned English, they spoke Quebecois. My grandmother spoke both and was the translator for her family.

Answer 1

At the face of it, the comments are inappropriate and highly racist , as it focuses on a specific creed of people( immigrants). The comments he made, like fear of "brown grand babies" is absolutely unacceptable. Colour shouldn't ever define who we are as a person. The facts are also very different from his opinions, inaccurate. For example, Not only do a majority of Hispanics in the U.S. speak English — 62 percent are bilingual, according to the Pew Research Center — they do so at higher rates with each subsequent generation. Seventy-six percent of Hispanics age 18 to 33 and 88 percent age 5 to 17 either “speak English very well” or “speak only English,” while almost all agree — at 95 percent.It's ironic that in his statement , he suggests that Hispanics are responsible for disunity in the first place.

I'm in favor of the below comments

- What a mess. The part where he says "it's the inter-marriage that is going on" and the fear of "brown grand babies" is just depressing. "Fear of Brown Grand Babies" sounds like the name of a skinhead band that could be found playing at a Richard Spencer gathering. Josh MarshallVerified account

- At first he seemed to be hanging on what GOPs think. But then he kind of slid into "look, we're all worried about the brown babies." Felipe EscamillaVerified account

Reason- It is completely unacceptable to make racist comments , talking about color , creed and race of people

I'm not in favor of the below comments

- I see this reaction a lot among folks who grew up in white, rural places. Had Brokaw grown up in my hometown in Rhode Island he’d have seen assimilation in real time. But in South Dakota he wasn’t exposed to that.

The kind of comments he made, need not be known only if he grows up in a specific place. THere's no need to discount his outrageous comments.