"The State language immersion in Catalan makes our children vulnerable to drugs"

tAccording to José William Vega, chairman of Asocolombia, “with the last government, integration of immigrants was easier”.

Exposure of young migrants to drugs is the main consequence of schooling in Catalan language, said José William Vega García, spokesman of Asocolombia, one of the two associations of Colombian immigrants resident in the Balearic islands. This association began the campaign “No compres si no entiendes”, “Do not buy if you do not understand”, to boycott products labeled in Catalan.
Vega concludes this based on “the linguistic politics applied by the Balearic institutions make that the young Colombian newcomers unable to integrate. Because they do not integrate, failure rates at school shoot up, and, youngsters do not enjoy going to school. This fact increases absenteeism. And if young people remain all day in the street, they finally manage drugs”.
Finally, Vega concludes that “many families, in front of the danger of drugs, opt to send their children back to Colombia, so they can attend school without fearing of problems that drag the educative system in the Balearic Islands”.
The chairman of Asocolombia thinks that “during the last government, the way that language immersion in Catalan was conducted, was more effective because the number of hours taught in Catalan was progressively increased”. According to Vega, “since Unió Mallorquina is in power –qualified as radical xenophobic nationalists by the association-, children have to learn quickly another language and it is not possible”.
Classroom hosts
Asked about what would be ideal, as has happened in Catalonia, temporary “classroom hosts” for immigrants were created, Vega answered “those are totally xenophobic classrooms, that do absolutely no good to immigrants and hinder their integration”. Nevertheless, the spokesman of Asacolombia sustain that “is not contrary to the process of linguistic normalization, and for venture, could win many Colombians to the cause”.
The campaign of boycott against products that are labeled in Catalan is, according to Vega, “for safety reasons”. “How do they pretend that people buy goods that they do not know what contain?”, wanders the chairman of Asacolombia.

Vega, a character linked to the last government

This ex-militant of PP, demonstrated at la Marjal in favour of the PJ Ramirez swimming pool.

José WilliamVega García. This is the full name of the person that promotes the campaign “Do not buy if you do not understand” in the name of the association Asacolombia and it has for object to boycott products labeled in Catalan. Despite Vega’s widespread effect thanks to this campaign, he is not a new character but somebody who has tried to make himself known in the country politics for years.
In fact, this citizen, with Colombian origins that practices Medicine, was a member of the Popular Party in Calvià , from 2001 until April, 27th 2007, not long before the election campaign started. On May 26th, day of reflexion, it was discovered that he had sent, from his cell phone, messages asking for votes to his party.
After abandoning it, Vega made public a letter that said “The cessation is due to personal reasons. It was rewarding to share with the Party, in Calvià, a lot of activities and I learnt that is a party that carries out their promises. In the Balearic Islands, is the party that has made the biggest effort with the immigrants and I feel very pleased by that. This step is necessary to keep the neutrality of the association I am chairman of. And because the time has arrived for the immigrants to have their own voice heard, independent from actual political parties. We have enough capacity to name our own speakers at all levels in the political and social life in the Balearic Islands”.
Furthermore, this spokesperson of a part of the immigrant population of Colombian origins, has taken part in campaigns of big repercussion, promoted by the Spanish right wing. He participated in the infamous demonstration in 2006 at the la Marjal beach, where the platform “Son Servera basta ya” made a homage to the editor PJ Ramirez, manager of a private use swimming pool sited within public use land and sea.
During 2006, Asocolombia, was granted €7000 from the government in concept of projects and expenses, reported by sources from the Conselleria d’Afers Socials, Promoció i Immigració, the Social Affairs, Promotion and Immigration Department of the Autonomous Government of the Balearic Islands. However, is not an “scandalous” sum, as reported by Norbey Andrade, chairman of Asacol (the biggest association of Colombians of the two); they received similar quantities each year in concept of punctual aid.
Translated from OCB, Obra Cultural Balear Artà.