The BBC's Spanish Proposition

The BBC is coming to Houston. The BBC en español, that is. The idea was to send a team on a two-week long trip across the U.S. speaking only Spanish. Reporter José Baig and producer Carlos Ceresole started in Florida last week and are slowly working their way across the South, blogging every pit stop along the way. So far, the team has discovered — breaking news here — that many Latino immigrants work in crappy jobs that cheat workers out of paychecks.

When we got a call from Baig yesterday afternoon, we learned he meant business. Although he’s fluent in English, he didn’t even switch from Spanish to explain his whereabouts in Houston. It’s all Spanish, all the time, no matter whom he’s talking to.

So what’s the point? Could this be the BBC’s attempt at Borat en español in which another group of Brits reveal the hypocrisy and boorishness of rural America? That one never gets old. Perhaps the team has discovered a profound insight into the cultural transformation on the American South. We aim to find out later today when the Houston Press and the BBC go mano a mano en español.

Be sure to check back with updates to find out what it’s like traveling coast to coast without speaking English. – Russell Cobb