L.A. to Celebrate the Fourth of July in Many Languages

Maybe beer is something other than “liquid bread.”

July 3, 1910: Los Angeles prepares to celebrate the Fourth of July with a parade in the downtown business district followed by a ceremony at the Plaza with a reading of the Declaration of Independence and -- what's this? A speech in Spanish? A speech in Italian? A speech in French? A speech in Portuguese? In the meantime, the city's Scottish population will gather at Schuetzen Park for -- what's this? A bagpipe competition? And a highland fling contest? And Joseph Scott will be the orator of the day at the Hibernians' celebration, which will feature red, white and blue bunting and ... an Irish flag? At left, the Herald’s coverage of the Fourth of July. Notice that along with “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Kammermeyer’s band played “The Marseillaise” and the Mexican national anthem.

Comments

[Mary mallory]

Languages other than English? What would the tea party think? If they knew their history, they would know that the country didn't demand that people only speak English. They would also know that they are practicing the same, wrong time worn argument against immigrants that's always been practiced, saying they're stealing our jobs.

[Bryce Nguyen]

No one should contest that even before the entire country fell, there was a force for open borders already at work.