Opinions: Status Update

 published on Monday, February 18, 2008

"Welcome to Facebook.

To see your profile in English, press one.

Para ver tu perfil en español, oprimes el número dos."


OK, so maybe Facebook.com is not quite like that. At least, not yet it isn't.

But the site has taken step one toward that level, as the much-beloved social networking site has started a Spanish version of its Web site for its likely more than 2.8 million Spanish-speaking users.

With Arizona's having the sixth-largest Latino population in the States — 29.2 percent of the people who live here, according to 2000 Census figures  — there is little doubt of the impact that will be made on our state's collective online social life.

Though this will mean that we can now be poked dar un toque-style and sent obnoxious application invitations en español, the real story here is the message that this move sends: To keep up in today's world, especially in Arizona, you need to know Spanish. And that's something you shouldn't need to see on your news feed to believe.

According to those Census numbers, about 20 percent of our state's population speaks Spanish. This number has certainly risen in the last eight years and without a doubt, this number will continue to rise considerably. It seems like the only logical thing to do — whether you look to get into business, education, public administration, the service industry, wherever — would be jumping aboard.

Yes, our state's official language is English. Yes, English is being rammed down the throats of Arizona's young students as a first language regardless of their backgrounds. Yes, English is still the international standard.

But Spanish is the wave of the future. It's the growing craze for the growing population. It's the emerging power. Much like (¡Que una coincidencia!) Facebook.

If anything shows the turning of the tide, it's Facebook. After all, in our college world, nothing else says something is official better than our trusty blue and white e-companion. Just look at your friends' new relationships — do you take them seriously if they're not yet linked on Facebook? Most likely, no. No, you don't.

That's why Facebook — as the rock, the sage, the divine being in most college students' existence — turning to Spanish is important. It makes it una realidad, it makes it part of our life, and it makes us think twice about that stupid decision to take Latin back in high school.

With French and German versions of the site supposedly on the way, Facebook is clearly no slow poke. It's updating its status, and we can't do anything about it … except, of course, embrace it.

First, it took down Friendster as the MySpace alternative. Then, it took down MySpace as the hip Web site. Now? Obviously, it's looking to take the world. It seems like the logical progression to us.

All that's left to wonder now that Facebook has taken over the online world is how long it will take for its new tag-team buddy Spanish to take over the language world. We've got un idea that we won't be waiting for long, so don't take a siesta or else you might miss it.

Don't believe us? Well, the writing is on the Wall.