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BENSON HOSPITAL RESPIRATORY THERAPIST Sales and Marketing Ever-Ready Glass Glass Sales Health Care RLM Services, Inc. Orthopedic Assistant-CMA Tucson RegionSome street names in Spanish are ridiculousTucson, Arizona | Published: 07.25.2007
When the Catalina Foothills School District recently announced its Spanish-language instruction program for elementary students, it gave several pedagogical reasons.
The program would "bring 21st-century learning strategies into the classrooms," an assistant superintendent said of the foreign language instruction.
It also broadens the students perspective and knowledge. It helps them learn English and they become better students.
True and valid reasonings.
Those are some highfalutin' educational justifications for teaching more youngsters here Spanish.
I have another. It is neither educationally esoteric nor political. It's simply practical.
By teaching Spanish to Tucson-area youngsters in a region where Spanish is ingrained in the local history and culture, maybe we can correctly spell and use Spanish when naming our streets.
What's Santa Fee Place? Is that where a holy tax is filed?
What's Calle de la Tiendas? Is it a street that runs from Tucson Mall on North Oracle Road to Park Place mall on East Broadway?
Look at many of our Spanish language street names and you'll find misspellings, incorrect usage, and sometimes names that just make no sense.
Calle Bujia? "Yo Charlie, turn right on Carburetor Street, then a left on Alternator Street and you'll come to Spark Plug Street."
Calle Bien Nacida? It's the street where only well-bred people live.
The inexplicable Spanish street names are numerous. So are the "bilingual" street names.
There's Calle Montana Jack in Green Valley. It's probably named after the brother of pro football legend Joe Montana.
Also in Green Valley there's Calle McCleary. Do you think the McGinley and McMaster families feel slighted they don't have a calle in their name?
And what's with Calle Paint near Cortaro Farms Road?
It's not just street names that mangle Spanish. Locations around here also abuse the language. One example is Rillito River, which translates to Little River River.
I'm surprised I didn't find Calle Rainy Day, Calle Sin Pesos or Calle Con Dollars when I looked up street names.
I wonder if families living near Skyline Drive on Calle Sin Controversia live without controversies. Are people living on nearby Calle Sin Pecado without sin? And do they all drink the fermented mezcal from Sonora on Plaza Bacanora?
Streets named after saints are very popular around here, since Jesuit and Franciscan priests had a hand giving Spanish place names or altering native O'odham and Pima names on mountains, rivers and villages.
Santa Ana has several streets. There's Santa Ana Drive, Lane and Place. Then there's her twin sister, Santa Anna Drive. And, just to make sure, there's the androgynous San Anna Drive.
San Juan has five streets to keep up with Ana.
If you're not sure the length of your street, people on Calle Poco, Calle Poquito, Calle Cortado and Calle Corta know they live on short streets. They're probably jealous of those who live on the longer Calle Largo.
Prior to 1987, the county had lax rules on naming streets using Spanish. Current policy requires Spanish street names be reviewed by a qualified Spanish-speaking interpreter, said Kay Marks with Pima County's Development Services.
The spelling and context have to be proper, and Spanglish is no longer permitted, Marks said.
The faulty and awkward Spanish street names reflect a linguistic and cultural disconnect, said Malcolm Compitello, head of the University of Arizona's Spanish and Portuguese department.
Compitello also finds many Spanish street names comical.
They are. Too bad there's no Calle Chistoso.
● Contact Ernesto Portillo Jr. at eportillo@azstarnet.com or 573-4242. His blog is at http://go.azstarnet.com/blogs
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