Letter from San Diego

Walt Saylor, San Diego
Letters San Diego Union-Tribune
Wednesday, December 17, 1997.

It is no small wonder that the polls show people to be overwhelmingly against bilingual education, because our American experience already has proven it to be unnecessary.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, millions of non-English -speaking foreigners migrated to America, and racial bias was the order of the day. However, they eagerly sent their children to schools that taught only English because that was the language of their new country. As these children became proficient in the language, barriers were overcome and the nationality bias died out. There were no longer Franco-Americans, German-Americans or Italo-Americans, they were just plain Americans.

Today's children of immigrants are no different. They, too, should be taught English as soon as possible and other languages should be reserved as secondary options.

Walt Saylor
San Diego