How Do You Say Morris in Spanish?

I used to have a friend that was incensed when seeing both English and Spanish on signs or instructions in our area. This person was particularly offended when first seeing the light-up sign on Morristown Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Room doorway.

However, we’ve had and have a growing Spanish-speaking population in our area so we really can’t blame businesses and leaders for making these changes. Ours is the fastest growing hispanic population in the area, so it makes sense to provide for the needs of our changing citizenry. Perhaps we don’t think about it much but we have a lot to be proud of in being a truly multicultural area. It speaks well of our tolerance and is a nod to our history.

After all we didn’t always have St. Patrick’s day parades either. The immigrant Irish had to fight tenaciously to keep a foothold in this part of the country. They came to America for much the same reasons that Spanish-speaking immigrants do, a better opportunity.

Wave after wave of immigrants have come to the our towns and county, not to invade, but because it’s nice here. Very few of those groups have come without creating amity and suspicion.  I guess it’s an American right of passage. We have laws that are supposed to control immigration. They began with checking for terrible diseases and now sift people on the basis of quotas, political affiliation and a plethora of other objectionable qualities. Even passing all these requirements is no guarantee of acceptance, Americans have always been a bit unwelcoming toward immigrant groups.

 When my family came to America there were no immigration laws. I wonder if that makes me an illegal immigrant or a native? Back then all you had to have was the money for the passage and the temerity to think you might survive a 3-month voyage to a land where winter was another 5 months long.  We still weren’t welcomed though. The native Americans were soon sorry that they hadn’t attacked us right off.  They probably should have.  After all, we bought strange ways, terrible diseases, guns and worst of all “property rights.”  There’s nothing like a man with a musket announcing that your ancestral hunting ground is now his potato field, and if you don't like it you can “eat lead.”  Talk about immigration issues!

Although, it wasn’t all bad news, which is the realization that I believe we need to understand when we watch the growing Spanish influence in our towns.We now have developed several really good Spanish-American restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores and other vendors with a South American twist.  Have you been to Raoul’s la Estacion by the Morristown train station? Muy bueno!  These are all good things.  If we have to see a few Spanish words around, so what?  I’ve even learned a little Spanish as a result.  “Occupado” means someone’s in there, stop banging on the door, and I believe I’ve worked out the full meaning of “Basura.” At least I think I have.  If I’m mistaken, I hope no one finds out it was my trash.

As it turns out we are all immigrants of one nationality or another, and while we are all sure that we represent the “True and real Americans,”  there are at least 10 groups of other “Real americans” that will dispute that claim.  That, as it turns out, is “The American way.”

 I really don’t think some Spanish will make much difference one way or another– ever been to Chinatown, NYC?  At least Spanish is fairly easy to work out. Signs full of Chinese kanji might as well be written in Sanskrit.  But this is America and English is not the only language spoken here, as any of your immigrant parents will gladly tell you.  Today it’s Spanish, in 20 years it may well be Chinese. But Morris Township will still be Morris Township, the smart ones will go with the flow and pick out the best. It all keeps Morris county interesting and one of the best spots on the east coast.  (We reserve the right to complain about it though!)