To Keep Cultural Tradition Alive
The Mexican government supports bilingual education in the United States as a crucial tool to keep cultural traditions alive for nearly 1 million Mexicans and Mexican-Americans in Arizona. "What we're saying is this: We're a major contributor to your economy, pay us back by giving our youth a chance to survive by getting a good education," said Hector Aguilar, second in charge of the Mexican Consulate in Phoenix. The consulate, in conjunction with Mexico's Program for Mexican Communities Abroad, brought a 10-member delegation from Mexico City to support educators attending the annual conference of the National Association for Bilingual Education, taking place in Phoenix this week. Aguilar and delegation members don't want to get in the middle of the bilingual education controversy, but still feel compelled to take a stand because the issue deeply affects how Mexicans fare on this side of the border. They don't deny that learning English is a must for Spanish speakers if they are to have a shot at success in America. But they say staying fluent in Spanish and not forgetting their cultural ancestry are as important as getting acclimated to their new home, as long as one doesn't get lost at the expense of the other. "Our whole point is to improve the lives of Mexicans living outside their country," said Sofia Orozco, assistant director of the communities abroad program. But it's not just about culture. Raw economics plays just as big a role. A growing number of U.S. businesses look to hire Spanish speakers and are drawing up new marketing strategies to tap into Latinos' buying power. Hence, the argument goes, enabling Spanish-speaking immigrants to keep their language and learn English benefits the U.S. economy. "It's better to have two hands than one," said Jose Luis Olimon of Mexico's Office for Educational Modernization. "It benefits everybody to be exposed to another language. For Mexican youngsters here, to cut them off bilingual education is like cutting off one hand." |