English Immersion
Arizona voters approved a ballot initiative to put children trying to learn English into an aggressive English immersion program. The initiative, Proposition 203, passed with 63 percent of the votes. It requires schools to teach children in English as quickly as possible instead of putting them in traditional bilingual education courses. A similar initiative was approved by California voters a few years ago. Recent attempts in Colorado, however, have failed. It's an issue that has many people torn, including yours truly. Many Chicano activists favor bilingual programs, arguing that they tend to show more compassion to monolingual children who have an already daunting task of transitioning into new surroundings. The programs are designed to teach children other subjects in their native language while they learn English. Not only is it compassionate, it preserves the Spanish language, which is a cultural asset. In addition, being well-versed in more than one language is certainly better than being monolingual. Another part of the issue, however, is that many parents of Spanish-speaking children want their children to learn English as fast as possible, and so support English immersion efforts. They are not Cbicanos and probably don't relate to the type of struggles and oppression that many Mexican-Americans have endured in this country since the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, when mineral-rich areas of Mexico were taken over by the U.S. government. Mexican-Americans and Mexican nationals are the same people, but different in many ways. Their struggles are not always the same, but I believe there is a bond of history and mutual respect. But this group of Hispanics, collectively, is the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. It's a young population, and many of its members are recent immigrants. It makes good economic sense to educate this population in English as soon as possible so its people can begin succeeding in school and becoming marketable assets to the work force. See the dilemma? Throw some hard-core conservatives into the mix and it can get very ugly. There is no correct answer. Deep-thinking and -feeling human beings want both: We want Spanish speakers to learn quickly and be successful, but we don't want the language or anyone's rich heritage to become lost in the mix. Maybe everyone concerned can give a little. Schools and families must communicate - in any language - with each other and within their own structures to find ways to move forward aggressively, but keep true to cultures and traditions. Our diversity is our greatest asset. But if we disagree from time to time, we must find a middle ground and remain unified. There are no 'sell-outs' in this debate. Angela Cortez (acortez@denverpost.com) is a member of The Denver Post editorial board. |