Update: Apparently President Calderon is giving his address as I write this, in English! Good for him. That said, below is the text of the memo that was e-mailed from the Speaker’s office to Assembly offices, stating that Calderon’s address would be in Spanish (hence my post below this one).
DATE: February 13, 2008
TO: Assembly and Senate Offices
FROM: Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez
SUBJECT: Distribution of Headsets for President Calderón’s Address – February 13
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President Calderón will deliver his Address in Spanish. Simultaneous translation of his remarks will be done in English and Spanish for Members and guests in attendance at the Joint Convention.
Headsets will be distributed to Members of the Assembly and the Senate in the Assembly Rules Committee Room, Room 3162 so members should use this entrance instead of the chamber entrance near the Speaker’s Office.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:00 am
The Speakers Office was told that the President would speak in Spanish; no reason was given for that decision. He surprised all of us with an eloquent speech in English, and went off the text several times in English when he spoke about the large drug busts and is intent to provide health insurance for all Mexican children.
That said, it’s not unusual for a foreign leader to speak in their native tongue, even when they know English. Nuances in language sometimes make foreign leaders more comfortable with their native language than a translation, particularly on delicate subject matter, such as immigration.
I’m surprised more hasn’t been written on the speech, given its tone of cooperation with California on immigration and economic (our largest trading partner is Mexico) issues.