Locals speak up on American uniqueness, immigrant policy, Metro's use of foreign language, and presidential candidates

The Tennessean is publishing this series with locals talking about America, including one interview with Andres Bermudez, a carpenter whose parents immigrated from Argentina. Bermudez talks about how Americans are relatively safe from their government compared to citizens of other countries, and how he believes immigrant policy should be inspired by the Statue of Liberty.

The Tennessean separately reported here that a razor-thin, within-the-margin-of-error majority of Middle Tennesseans opposes a proposed ban of foreign language use by Metro government:

Forty-seven percent of those polled said they would oppose or lean toward opposing a measure that would bar Metro government agencies from translating written materials into other languages or offering interpreters to the public. Forty-six percent of voters indicated they would support the measure, and
7 percent didn't know or declined to answer.

"This country was built by immigrants," said Arthur Ebbets, a retired naval aviation instructor who participated in the poll. " … Here we have some people who are in the early stages. And in the early stages I don't think that they should be held back."

Ebbets, who grew up in New York, said the newness of immigration to Nashville may attract some to the measure.

The Spanish-language local daily El Crucero reported in its October 24 edition that 78% of Hispanic Nashvillians favor Obama, as opposed to 13% who favor McCain.

The survey size of both the Tennessean poll and the El Crucero poll was 200.

Some local Hispanic voters are weighing in on this Post Politics entry about the support for Bush among Hispanics in 2004.

Finally, local blogger Aunt B expressed consternation in this post earlier this month when she learned that Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Yuri Cunza was seriously considering McCain.