Among the interesting people I met at McGovern Day last Saturday were Jackie Diaz and Alex Ramirez of USA Media TV. Their Sioux Falls-baed media company produced La Voz; now they are producing two Spanish-language programs, Al Dia and El Sol TV, focused on helping our Spanish-speaking neighbors connect with the community. These programs are recorded at the Badlands Pawn studio and air on KTTW, the Sioux Falls Fox affiliate. Here’s their promotional video:
Payday lender Chuck Brennan gets merit points for hosting the program in his pawn shop set and for allowing his tenants to interview Lutheran Social Services financial counselor Sara Ramirez (see 2:45 in promo), who, if she’s doing her job, is surely saying every day, ¡No utilice los préstamos de día de pago!
Ramirez and Diaz are promoting their programming and events of interest to the Sioux Falls Hispanic community on the Pulso Hispano Facebook page.
He realizes this is his customer new customer base.
This language instruction is doing nobody any favor.
Just how are Spanish-speaking immigrants supposed to learn English if the government bans funding translation? This is one biased piece of legislation that has to go!
Yo it’s predatory lending. Ooops lets pretend for the self important and powerful they care about their victims. You got to be kidding if you don’t see thru this…
Ironic that people from the United States that travel to other countries expect people to speak to them in English. Usually the first thing asked is “do you speak English”??? Usually they are accommodated whether it be France, Spain, Portugal or numerous other countries. We need to learn that being bilingual is about fitting in and having compassion for others.
But that is what Chuck Brennan has been about all the time, what with his Rock ‘n Roll Academy, his bands at the pawn shop and now his race track. It is to show what a good guy and part of the community he is. Ignore his 550% loans to the poor and unsuspecting.
Mark, I take a risk in contradicting my Hispanic friends who have more experience with this issue than I, but I’m not sure South Dakota bans translation of official documents. It appears that in 1995, we enacted SDCL 1-27-20 through 1-27-26. SDCL 1-27-20 establishes English as the state’s common language, “the language of any official public document or record and any official public meeting.” SDCL 1-27-22 provides exceptions for instruction, international business, criminal justice system, public health and safety and emergencies, and expert testimony. SDCL 1-27-23 says funding for translations in such exempt activities must be placed on a separate budget line. So I don’t think the law says public bodies in South Dakota can’t prepare foreign language materials. But I welcome further legal research on the topic!
I agree with Scott, Lanny, and Gayle that the hosting of this show at Badlands Pawn is pure marketing for Brennan.
caheidelberger, all you have to do is go to DMV in SD and see if you can find a Spanish driving guide. OF course not! Go to any other DMV in the country and you will find one.