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Trap for Hispanics Emilia Santiago
Six months after Proposition 227 did away with bilingual education in California, you report that young Latino children can handle being taught in English ("English immersion classes off to a good start in L.A.," Jan. 24) The shame of it all is that this comes as a surprise to the liberal media and many so-called professional educators. In their arrogance, the education establishment prejudged Hispanics as being "too slow" to do what all other immigrant groups coming to America have done: learn in English. So we were patronized - and cursed with bilingual education. Then there was the suspicious political agenda. Forced bilingual education dovetailed nicely with the radical multiculturalism advocated by liberals. These people claimed to have only our best interests at heart. But then again, maybe the liberals really wanted to keep us separated from mainstream America. In this way, we'd be kept dependent on them and big government. Thanks but no thanks. In any event, bilingual education was a misguided policy from day one. It's good that it's gone in California. We should get rid of it here in New Jersey as well. |