Huachuca City Mayor Ken Taylor declined an invite to a meeting of border-city chief executives in Laredo, Texas, because the invitation was written in both English and Spanish,
The El Paso Times reports.
"I will NOT attend a function that is sent to me in Spanish/Mexican. One nation means one language and I am insulted by the division caused by language," reads an email Taylor sent to former El Paso Mayor John Cook, the executive director of the U.S. Mexico Border Mayors Association, which organized the event.
"I will certainly remove you from our email list," Cook said in response. "Ours is a bi-national association with mayors from the United States and Mexico that were elected to serve border communities. All of our communications are intended to inform mayors from both sides of our border about our association.
"The purpose of the Border Mayors Association is to speak with one voice in Washington, D.C., and Mexico City about issues that impact our communities, not to speak in one language. My humble apologies if I ruffled your feathers."
According to the group's website, "The purpose of the Association is to help in the formulation of policies that affect the border communities of México and the United States."
Taylor was not appeased.
"America is going 'Down Hill' fast because we spend more time catering to others that are concerned with their own self interests," he wrote in a response to Cook. "It is far past time to remember that we should be 'America First' . . . there is NOTHING wrong with that. My feathers are ruffled anytime I see anything American putting other countries First. If I was receiving correspondence from Mexican interests, I would expect to see them listed First. Likewise, when I see things produced from America, I EXPECT to see America First."
Taylor declined to comment to the Times, but Cook had a few words to say.
"I was really taken back because the invitation is pretty straightforward that it is an international organization consisting of both sides of the border," Cook said. "It was very disappointing that he evidently didn't read far into it and was insulted that we were also communicating in Spanish. The more I think about it, this is probably a big sentiment in parts of Arizona where people do not like people to speak Spanish in this country."
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