On July 10, 1997, J. Manuel Urrutia posted a detailed e-mail message discussing the
"English for the Children" initiative in the soc.culture.mexican.american user group of
the internet.
By J. Manuel Urrutia, UCLA Department of Physics and Astronomy
It seems that we, as a community, are again in the sights of those
who don't really, really don't like us (to paraphrase Sally Fields)
And, unfortunately, as California goes, so goes the nation.
Two items:
1) a Senate bill(S.B.6) just passed the California State Senate that
will give carta blaca (el mandato, menso, no la cheve) to all the school
districts to do decide how and when to impart bilingual education to all
those children of the new lower class, the immigrants. While it requires
that school do eventually teach the kids English and prove that they do
(another cottage industry for evaluators?), it does allow for "complete
immersion" ("sink or swim," in my opinion) programs. Should this bill be
allowed to pass the Assembly and have our wonderful
governor sign it into law.
2) An initiative titled "English for the Children" is being pushed by Unz
(Wilson's opponent in the last primary and opponent of 187 and 209!?!?)
and a peroxide blonde from Texas by way of Santa Ana, Ca. named Gloria
Matta Tuchman. Most particularly galling of this initiative is that its
poster child bills herself as LULAC Woman of the Year for 1988 (as a
LULAC friend told me, "there are vendidos en todas partes") and that it
claims that "today's immigrant children will be given the same
opportunity to become educated, productive members of society that our own
immigrant ancestors enjoyed," if it passes.
From my point of view, since the children of previous immigrant waves are
fairly assimilated (that is, they speak English and are quite uppity), there
is a need to create a new generation of serfs. What better way to do it than
put them in a environment where most of them will fail ("sink or swim")?
We have to start thinking about this and decide whether a united front
is to be made to these assaults. Please talk it out among your family,
friends, acquaintances, etc.. Publicize your efforts in the mailing lists,
this and other chat boards, and all over the Internet. Get the word out and
make people think. Otherwise it will be a repeat of 187 and 209.
And, yes, the "organization" pushing the intiative has a Web site. Go
look at it and see that I am not making this up: http://www.OneNation.org
If you want info on SB.6, go to: http://www.ca.gov/s/govt/official.html
and navigate down to: http://www.sen.ca.gov/hybin/ca-billpage/SB/6gopher_root2:[bill.current.sb.f
rom000.sb0006
On July 29, 1997, Gloria Matta Tuchman, Co-Chair of the initiative replied to Mr.
Urrutia's message.
Dear Dr. J. Manuel Urrutia:
I want to thank you so much for giving the newsgroups information about our
Web site!
I would like the opportunity to meet you sometime and discuss our initiative.
It seems a bit bold and pompous on your part to characterize me, "a peroxide
blonde from Texas by way of Santa Ana, Ca. and a poster child who bills
herself as LULAC
Woman of the Year for 1988."
Now I hope these comments aren't meant as sexual harrassment, especially
since you have never met me or know about my life and background.
True, my hair is blonde now, which is better in my estimation than gray. I
don't find that unusual, since most women my age do color their hair. My
grandmother (Margarita Matta) nicknamed me "guera" when I was growing up and
they used to call my father, "guero." There are many blondes, brunettes, red
hair, black hair and
green, blue, brown, black eyes in my family. We are very proud of our
Hispanic Culture, Language and Heritage. My family is very supportive of my
efforts. Not only my Hispanic family, but my husband's Jewish family give
their love and support for my efforts!
True, I was born in Pecos, Texas. I was subjected to racial discrimination,
segregation and suffered indignities against Mexicans comparable to that
suffered by Black Americans in the South. I can't even boast that I began my
life in the barrio. My first home was a "railroad boxcar" and then luckily
we were able to move to the Mexican barrio. One of my father's many jobs in
trying to keep tortillas on the table was working in the cotton fields for a
$l.00 a day.
I am very proud of my parents for sacrificing and giving me the opportunity
to attend college to seek a teaching degree. I was the first in the family
to achieve a College Degree from Arizona State University. My parents were
instrumental in giving me that drive for an Education and chance to succeed.
I never felt poor, but I know we were!
My parents have always given back to the community as a thankful reminder to
God of their appreciation for their achieved successes in life. They have
been successful business owner's for 44 years of Matta's Mexican Restaurant
in Mesa, Arizona and were put on the "Hall of Fame" by the State Restaurant
Association.
My father was appointed by the Governor of Arizona in the 50's to the Arizona
Civil Rights Commission, and my mother served as National 2nd Vice President
of LULAC. They were both instrumental in starting the first "Head Start"
programs in the state of Arizona. My parents were also Man and Woman of the
Year in their city.
My step-father, Dr. George J. Garza was National President of LULAC in the
50's and helped create the "Little School of 400" which became the model for
the Head Start program nationwide. He is also on the "Hall of Fame" at
Southwest Texas University and the second Hispanic to ever be included there,
Tomas Rivera was the first. He served as Chief Education Advisor for the
U.S. Department of State in Bolivia, Guatemala and El Salvador, as well as
Washington D.C. He was my mentor for the issue of bilingual education. (He
also helped draft the bylaws for LULAC in 1929 since he was the only one
literate in English.)
Yes, I am very proud to be the "poster child" of LULAC, an honor that I
don't take lightly. I was given that honor in 1988 for my efforts to Reform
Bilingual Education at the Local, State and National Level for the U.S.
Department of Education, as well. I also was an advisor for Orange County MA
LDEF Leadership Group and worked with John Palacio, Director of MALDEF on a
drop-out prevention program at the middle schools in Santa Ana. I have given
presentations to MALDEF on this particular issue as an invited guest.
I have many accomplishments that I have achieved in my life, but my greatest
achievement is the gift of English Literacy to English Learners. I have
always worked with minority children for 33 years and was the only teacher to
volunteer to teach in an all 'black getto' along with black teachers in one
of the first Head Start programs in Central Phoenix in the '60's.
I volunteer my time at Alice Callaghan's, Las Familias del Pueble Center in
downtown L.A. I am sure she would welcome a Professor from U.C.L.A. to
volunteer, as well. Where were you when the Latino parents were crying for
help for their children to learn English? They had to boycott the school
system to get someone to help them. The parents are not going to be lied to
any longer. That is why we are doing this initiative for them!
I would welcome you to come visit me at Taft Elementary, in Santa Ana anytime
to actually see English Learners accomplishing English Literacy! I teach 1st
grade. It is not "sink or swim!" In fact, many children are becoming
tri-lingual. We have a deaf and hard of hearing program on campus and the
children are integrated. It is an English-Immersion School in Santa Ana
Unified School District.
I teach University classes on the "Failure of Bilingual Education," as well.
Perhaps, you would like to invite me to address your Physics & Astronomy
classes on this subject. I have been considered an "expert" in the field of
Bilingual Education. I would be delighted to address your classes on this
subject, since you have taken such an interest in this subject. I would be
pleased to see some of your articles and research on the subject of Bilingual
Education.
My head is not up in the "clouds" as to the "Failure of Bilingual Education,"
particularly for Latino students. Latino parents will not be ignored any
longer as to their request for English for the Children. This initiative
will empower them to make a "choice." Read the initiative again! It allows
for parental exceptions and even gives the parents the right to bring a
lawsuit against those that would deny them access. I am sure our opponents
are very afraid of parental empowerment!
I look forward to hearing from you. It's easy to hurl insults, make
judgements, but harder to sit down and dialogue with someone about the issues
and gain insight for another point of view.
Sincerely,
Gloria Matta Tuchman,
Co-Chair for the English for the Children Initiative
P.S. My group, the State Committee to Reform Bilingual Education, REBILLED,
opposed SB 6, (Alpert/Firestone Bill). Maybe, you'd like to inquire why?
I am the Chair of REBILLED.
