"Malditos negros. Y todos los otros. ¿Por qué este país, por qué Estados Unidos está lleno de extranjeros, latinos sucios, japoneses mafiosos… gentuza que viene a robar a los verdaderos americanos?.. Y yo muriendo en este hospital asqueroso… ¿Dónde estará mi padre?.. En el infierno, se lo habrá llevado el demonio… "
“Estoy en sus manos. Esta negra me arrancará el corazón como en los sacrificios salvajes que hacen en África.
¡No, no!”
Maybe I am not getting the point here, but I find it could be quite offensive for some people.
Can you post another link to the collection? The one you posted is from your own workdesk, so we can’t access it. If you go to the collection, or to the library, and right-click on the lesson and copy that link, then it should work.
Not only could it be quite offensive, it does contain profanity, which the LingQ staff generally tell us they don’t want in their library. Even in one part of the text that is, for some reason, in English, they use the F word.
Thanks for pointing this out. I am going to pull this lesson. Although this text is no doubt trying to promote a positive image of people from the US amongst Latin Americans, in line with the goals of radialistas, see below, I don’t like profanity like this in our lessons.
Yet another NGO with a mission.
From their website:
La Asociación RADIALISTAS APASIONADAS Y APASIONADOS es una ONG sin fines de lucro con sede en Quito, Ecuador.
Nuestra misión es contribuir a la democratización de las comunicaciones, especialmente de la radio, desde las perspectivas de género y ciudadanía. Somos un centro de producción al servicio de radialistas de todos los continentes, priorizando América Latina y el Caribe.
RADIALISTAS trabaja solidaria y complementariamente con las redes de comunicación ya existentes.
Nuestros Objetivos
Favorecer las relaciones equitativas de género a través de la comunicación.Equipo de Trabajo
Estimular la diversidad cultural a través de la producción radiofónica local.
Promover el desarrollo sostenible mediante actividades relacionadas con la radiodifusión.
Incorporar las nuevas tecnologías al quehacer radiofónico.
Consolidar una red interactiva entre radialistas que creen en un mundo más equilibrado y más feliz.
La Asociación se dirige a todos los radialistas, mujeres y hombres, comunicadoras y periodistas, que trabajan en emisoras privadas y públicas, educativas y comunitarias, universitarias y populares, religiosas y laicas, sindicales e indígenas, así como a centros de producción radiofónica e instituciones de comunicación social que contribuyen, cada una según su perfil, a la construcción de los valores ciudadanos.
“La reina de corazones (capitulo 1/5)” is the first part of five lessons. The five lessons as a whole convey a straightforward though ironic anti-racist message. To get the point of this first part, one has to read all five lessons.
As to whether to keep it or yank it, I vote a strong keep it. I would not like to see the lesson censored, but I would not object to having the one taboo word replaced with a milder adjective.
I must add that I have discovered only recently the Radialista lessons that MissTake uploaded. I rate nearly all of the few that I have studied so far to range from excellent to wondrous.
I agree with OscarP, that lesson is quite offensive and I don’t understand what is the sense for who someone try learn Spanish (or another language) using this content.
It seems to me that the matter in most of the lessons should be about nice things or some interesting topics, but in this case there are a lot use of offensive and racists words. Personally I don’t have any interest about know what is the end of this story (even a “happy ending”) and if someone asks me what should be done with these lessons? I’ll answering without a doubt: someone has to throw them away.
In addition there are a bad pronunciation in " por qué Estados Unidos está lleno de extranjeros,…" He pronounced: “…está llenoS de estranjeros,…”
I must say what bothers me the most about the lesson is the stereotype of the swearing racist Norte Americano, but that is no reason to yank the lesson. It is more the profanity that might warrant a yank, but then again these are words that people are going to hear anywhere. I am tending towards leaving it in.
Although mostly attributed to Machiavelli the phrase " the end justifies the means" is not one of his creation, but as it was, it certainly is common sense to understand that way of thinking is not correct in most of the time. I don’t think it necessary to be repeated that the words offensives and racists expressions annoy many people, even those against non-target.
To make a promotion against the bad things you don’t need to use those same things.
This issue goes beyond censorship, it’s about respect for the dignity of people.
It’s true steve, these are words that people are going to hear anywhere, but we did not expect to find and read these terms here in LinguiQ, well at least I not.
To Steve’s point about the “stereotype of the swearing racist Norte Americano”: the story is about the comeuppance of a white American racist. Some white American racists talk this way. Some white American racists say things that are even worse. I know this because I have heard them.
To Jofpardes’s point about what kind of material should be in the library: “La vida de Lazarillo de Tormes y de sus fortunas y adversidades” is in the LingQ Spanish library, too, and it is full of many unpleasant episodes. The French library includes “La Marquise de Brinvilliers,” which includes descriptions of hideous and grotesque torture. The German library includes “T * T * * T - Ein Podcastkrimi,” which is about murder. So the LingQ libraries are not limited to nice content material.
As for means and ends, I can only say again that without reading all five lessons, any judgment about the first lesson is premature. And I still believe the lesson should be kept, although amending the taboo word might be in order.
I’m quite late to the party, but I studied these lessons some time ago, perhaps 6 months or a year ago. The content was quite surprising and shocking to me to find in the library at first. However, after listening to all the lessons, I was not offended, perhaps because it’s clear that they are not condoning racism. I wouldn’t remove them. As to the material above quoted by Òscar, I’ve heard that kind of thing before. I can watch “Roots”, these lessons are child’s play in comparison. It’s meant to be impactful, it’s meant to provoke a reaction.
There are all kinds of people out there with all kinds of attitudes. Hopefully our group at LingQ is a good example of people understanding each other and respecting each other across language, culture, and ethnicity, all with an attitude of good will. It is unfortunate that people seem conditioned to divide themselves into groups for identity, us and them, whether it be language, religion, team or whatever, and to strengthen one’s own pride of identity often the easiest thing to do is to attack another group.
We all have prejudices. The issue is not the absence of prejudice. The issue is not allowing prejudices to prevent us from enjoying the fellowship of our fellow human beings.
I am reminded of an incident involving a good friend, a Frenchman, of about 83 years of age. He took up golf somewhat late in life. He was standing near the tee when someone else was teeing off. The ball went sideways and struck him on the head. He was knocked unconscious and remained so for quite some time. An ambulance was called and arrived with a medical team. A nurse was leaning over him as he regained consciousness, She was black. As he opened his eyes and looked up, his first words were “Je ne savais pas que les anges au ciel etaient noirs.” I didn’t know that the angels in heaven were black.
@Steve: “…We all have prejudices. The issue is not the absence of prejudice. The issue is not allowing prejudices to prevent us from enjoying the fellowship of our fellow human beings.”
Yes, that is very true and very well put, Steve.
I myself have never felt any prejudice against black folks - I’m very happy to say. But I have had some issues in the past with certain white nationalities (which I wont name.)
This prejudice is something that I always try hard to fight against. And mostly I win…I think…