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This has nothing to do with anarchy. I wish people that bashed bilingual education in Texas would teach for just one day in a Texas classroom. I get so sick and tired of hearing "well this is America" or "Asian kids do fine without it". That's not the point. The point is to offer every child in the country a fair and equitable education. It is not the fault of the child if he or she is raised in an environment where Spanish is dominant. Bilingual education in Texas is based on years upon years of educational research which demonstrates bilingualism in general expedites the learning process. If we really had the nards in this country, we would REQUIRE ALL CHILDREN from the first day of Kindergarten to learn a foreign language. It would not have to be Spanish. This could be decided at a local level. In Europe, even the dullards are bilingual. And I see the same people who bash bilingual education in America praise the European educational system on these very same boards.
Try again.
So many US born/raised Latino young adults have accents that suggest they just immigrated here maybe 2-3 years ago---------yet, most same age Asian kids speak flawless English by age 18 even if they came here 8 years previously from Cambodia, Vietnam, etc.
Now that is nonsense. No one is advocating that all of us abandon English and speak Spanish only. Silly nativist fright stories.
But why become the enablers for them not to assimulate?
What drives someone to learn to change to adapt? Need...
If we remove the need for them to adapt why should they?
Besides its not our problem its theirs.
When I go to Thailand I hope to meet english speakers but can not reasonably expect Thai's to adapt just for me. So I learner to speak Thai.
Thats also called respect. Its their country its on me to adapt.
Well I've unfortunately never been to Thailand, but I'm going to assume its far more homogeneous than the United States. You tell me.
Here, there are parts of San Fran where I can hear only Chinese being spoken, parts of L.A. where I hear Hmong, neighborhoods in NY where I hear pretty much everything under the sun, or Miami where Spanish is heard more than English in a lot of places.
It's a completely different place, comparing the U.S. with any other country. People can talk about melting pot all they want, but there are large swaths of our nation that are more aptly described as multicultural.
So many US born/raised Latino young adults have accents that suggest they just immigrated here maybe 2-3 years ago---------yet, most same age Asian kids speak flawless English by age 18 even if they came here 8 years previously from Cambodia, Vietnam, etc.
Why is that?
Because in the Asian households education comes before everything. In Hispanic households, religion and family often come before education. Why are we to fault the children for their situation? Like it or not, these kids are here and are not going anywhere. The Asians have a leg up in that regard. I will also say that I am generalizing, but it's a fairly true generalization. Where I teach in Houston, we have bilingual programs for Spanish speaking immigrants. Guess what happens to the Asians who don't have a bilingual program in their language who can't keep up due to the linguistic barrier? They are put on IEP's and in special education. In fact, special education is the "bilingual" program for many Asians in the Houston area. This is a sad reality. I support bilingual education from he get go because it is great for educational development in general. And I don't think it should be Spanish per se. The languages should be chosen at a local level. I will also state that I do look at this issue at more of an education standpoint. I do understand everyone else's concerns also.
Now that is nonsense. No one is advocating that all of us abandon English and speak Spanish only. Silly nativist fright stories.
Then what they want is even worse, a nation of people divided by language, no common language at all. People unable to communicate with one another -- now why would the government be working to achieve that?
Then what they want is even worse, a nation of people divided by language, no common language at all. People unable to communicate with one another -- now why would the government be working to achieve that?
That's pretty remote and silly as well, seeing as you can get by using English virtually across the country, and nothing indicates any change in the future. I suspect the real fright are the changing demographics of the U.S., seeing as we're becoming a more mixed and varied nation.
But why become the enablers for them not to assimulate?
What drives someone to learn to change to adapt? Need...
If we remove the need for them to adapt why should they?
Besides its not our problem its theirs.
When I go to Thailand I hope to meet english speakers but can not reasonably expect Thai's to adapt just for me. So I learner to speak Thai.
Thats also called respect. Its their country its on me to adapt.
Agreed. Here's an excerpt and link from an old article that I think you will enjoy it. It's a great read and primarily backs up what you state:
Quote:
In this new era, the single most immediate and most serious challenge to America's traditional identity comes from the immense and continuing immigration from Latin America, especially from Mexico, and the fertility rates of these immigrants compared to black and white American natives. Americans like to boast of their past success in assimilating millions of immigrants into their society, culture, and politics. But Americans have tended to generalize about immigrants without distinguishing among them and have focused on the economic costs and benefits of immigration, ignoring its social and cultural consequences. As a result, they have overlooked the unique characteristics and problems posed by contemporary Hispanic immigration. The extent and nature of this immigration differ fundamentally from those of previous immigration, and the assimilation successes of the past are unlikely to be duplicated with the contemporary flood of immigrants from Latin America. This reality poses a fundamental question: Will the United States remain a country with a single national language and a core Anglo-Protestant culture? By ignoring this question, Americans acquiesce to their eventual transformation into two peoples with two cultures (Anglo and Hispanic) and two languages (English and Spanish).
So many US born/raised Latino young adults have accents that suggest they just immigrated here maybe 2-3 years ago---------yet, most same age Asian kids speak flawless English by age 18 even if they came here 8 years previously from Cambodia, Vietnam, etc.
That's pretty remote and silly as well, seeing as you can get by using English virtually across the country, and nothing indicates any change in the future. I suspect the real fright are the changing demographics of the U.S., seeing as we're becoming a more mixed and varied nation.
Wrong again, there are many parts of the country where people cannot speak English. Not entire states yet but you can find cities where a third of the population cannot communicate in English --- which is pathetic because that's a growing trend.
The USA has ALWAYS been a mixed and varied nation right from the very start when it came to race and ethnicty but there was a common bond of language and that's what worked to make us a united people. Not to say there weren't problems but people could at least communicate with one another.
When Martin Luther King spoke, when he had his dream, it was in English, just as when Abraham Lincoln spoke it was in English. Now you have a large and growing and mostly illegal group insisting on maintaining their own language, having Spanish-taught classrooms.
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