ANOTHER QUEBEC? NOT A CHANCE! LOS ANGELES WILL REMAIN ENGLISH-SPEAKING BUT WITH A STRONG LATIN FLAVOR.

Byline: Domenico Maceri

THE top spot in the Los Angeles radio market belongs to KLVE-FM (107.5), a Spanish station. And recently KSCA-FM (101.9) converted from English-language alternative music to Mexican regional music, jumping to third place in the ratings in a short period of time. Does the popularity of Spanish radio reflect a peaceful takeover of the city by Spanish-speakers?

As more and more Latinos continue to come to Los Angeles, will Spanish become the dominant language in the city? Will English-speaking Angelenos have to learn Spanish in order to get jobs? Worse yet, will the city's linguistic landscape generate the type of conflicts faced by Quebec in Canada?

There are superficial similarities between Quebec and Los Angeles. The clearest one is the local perception that English is losing ground and another language and culture is taking over.

In Quebec this is real. Since 80 percent of Quebeckers speak French, English is the minority language. This has been true for several centuries. The French were the first Europeans to settle in Canada. It was the French who ``lost'' Canada to the British. Yet they did not lose it completely since in the province of Quebec, French-speakers managed to retain the majority, which they still hold.

In Los Angeles the perception that Spanish is burying English is not supported by facts. According to U.S. census figures, only 14 percent (458,000) of Los Angeles residents speak only Spanish, or Spanish with a smattering of poor English. The percentage of Spanish-speakers goes up to 34 percent (1.1 million) if we add those who in addition to Spanish also speak English ``very well'' or ``well.'' These numbers are not insignificant, but certainly do not suggest that English is the minority language.

More important than the numbers, however, is the reality: the culture, politics and the economic system are dominated by the English language and there is no real challenge to that. Spanish is the minority language.

The differences between Quebec and L.A. are almost as obvious as the superficial similarities. Quebec has had and continues to have French-speaking schools, colleges and universities where one can become a doctor, lawyer, engineer, or college professor, in French. There are also some schools where the primary instruction is in English, but most schools teach in French, a reflection of the majority's language. French is the language of government and business, and although it's possible to live in Quebec without knowing French, it's not very practical.

In Los Angeles, there are no colleges where instruction is in Spanish. The UCLA law school does not offer classes in Spanish. Anyone wishing to study there must know English. Nor is it possible to get a degree in Spanish from USC medical school. No one can become an engineer in Spanish at Caltech.

In essence, English is the language of education, but it is also the language of government, business, etc. Surviving in Los Angeles with just Spanish is no more practical than doing business in Quebec with only English.

Perhaps the biggest difference between Quebec and Los Angeles is the speakers' views of their languages. In Quebec, French is the people's raison d'etre, their identity. In a way, French-speaking Quebeckers, whose motto is ``Je me souviens (I remember),'' still see themselves fighting the British for the control of Canada.

Quebeckers are physically removed from France, the mother country, whom they see as having abandoned them and which even looks down on their local version of French. In addition, Quebeckers are also surrounded by a vast expanse of English-speaking people not simply in Canada but also in the United States. Thus they hunker down and become obsessive about their language.

French is not just a tool for communication, the language defines them as a people. The increasing dominance of English and the decreasing power of French in the world add to the Quebeckers' feelings of insecurity.

Spanish-speakers in Los Angeles are not at all obsessive about their language. Much more important than language to them is improving their economic lot. Spanish-speaking immigrants come to the United States looking for work and a reasonable wage. In Mexico, unskilled workers who find jobs will make about $3-$4 a day. In the U.S., they can easily make that much in an hour. That's what attracts them north of the border, not some sinister plot for returning Los Angeles to Mexican control. They have no desire for turning Los Angeles into the country whose poverty they escaped nor do they want to return to a political system responsible for their forced emigration.

Spanish-speakers may assimilate a bit more slowly than some other immigrant groups because of the proximity with Mexico and also because many of them are migrant rather than immigrant. Yet, those who stay understand only too well that knowing only Spanish is the ticket to minimum-wage jobs. Escaping them requires knowledge of English. Thus, after working many long hours, they flock to evening ESL classes. The countless ads on Spanish radio and TV about companies peddling tapes and videos to teach English reflect the need to learn this language.

Many Spanish-speaking parents don't want their kids in bilingual programs, fearing that they will not learn English and, like their parents, be condemned to menial work.

Will Quebec secede from Canada? Maybe. If that happens it will be partly because of the province's geographic situation but mostly because of Quebeckers' feelings about keeping their language alive, which they see as the essence of their culture and identity.

Will Los Angeles secede or become a Spanish-speaking city with an English-speaking minority? Not a chance. As the economy of Mexico and Central America improves, thanks in part to NAFTA, and the great wage disparity between the U.S. and Mexico is reduced, immigration north will also decrease. As Latinos in the U.S. assimilate just like other immigrant groups did in the past, Los Angeles will remain English-speaking but with a strong Latin flavor.

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DRAWING: no caption (Collage of buildings with signs in Spanish)

Jorge Irribarren/Daily News