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Bilingualism Fosters Culture
U.H. Daily Cougar
Friday, October 20, 1990
Bilingualism Fosters Culture
by Ben Alcalá
NOTE:
Cougar columnist Chris Gadberry wrote an article that portrayed bilingualism in a less than favorable light. The following response was printed by the Cougar:
The Hispanic community in America does not want to force anyone to be bilingual, but it doesn't want the opportunity of bilingual education available in order to facilitate the learning of English by those whose first language it is not.
Bilingual education works. I came from a home where only Spanish was spoken. I went to a Catholic school and had a Filipino nun as my teacher. Had she not understood Spanish, I would have not learned English as readily as I did. That contributed to my doing well on standardized achievement tests, culminating in a 740 out of 800 on the verbal section of the SAT. Pretty good for someone whose first language isn't English. I know that I would not have done as well had I been thrown into a total immersion (sink or swim) English program.
I think Mr. Gadberry's confusion stems from the Hispanic community's opposition to the English First movement. This misguided movement seeks to have English made the official language of the U.S. and prohibit the use of any other language by our government. This would only serve to shut out many citizens who so not have any other means of communication but their native language.
By this I mean people like my mother who only had a opportunity for a second grade education. She can speak English a bit, but she cannot read it. She is comfortable with Spanish. By having ballots printed in both languages she can vote, which is her right as a citizen. I do not feel that bilingual ballots would cost more than English only ones. The only alternative would be to educate her in English, winch would cost much more than bilingual ballots. Also, a bilingual ballots are only necessary in areas with a need for them.
Mr. Gadberry obviously is not a history major, as his simplistic description of American history attests to. While I agree with his h assessment that early colonial American culture was English, he does not seem to notice that other colonial powers also had a stake in North America. I seem to remember the Dutch, French and Spanish were also involved in colonizing the continent.
As an American, he uses such uniquely ethnocentric terms when describing the growth of the United States (territory being "acquired" and America being "expanded") that it makes me feel he believes in manifest destiny! Of course, where Americans went, "the English language naturally followed and replaced the native tongues," but you do not suppose genocide of the natives had anything to do with it, do you?
His description of the so-called "Texas Revolution" was equally simplistic. Enforcement for some disagreeable laws" was not the main reason the Anglos "revolted", but their prejudice of everything Mexican was. While the Mexican government did invite Anglo settlers into Tejas (as it was called by the Mexicans), the conditions included adoption the language, religion and law of Mexico.
Of course, the typically ethnocentric Anglos were not going to learn Spanish, become Catholic and follow Mexican law because they felt English, Protestantism and American law were vastly superior), Since Tejas was so sparsely settled and with Anglos coming here in droves (kind of like *censored*roaches, when the first one arrives, thousands soon follow), it was only a matter of time before the newcomers would take what they felt was rightfully theirs.
Mr. Gadberry feels that the Hispanic community wants to give Spanish "special status" which he feels would "rob the Hispanic community of its American identity". Hispanics realize that learning English is the key to success in the U.S. Hispanics who do not speak English impress the importance of English to their children They, like all parents, want their childrent to have a better life than they had and thus push their children to learn English.
The problem is that the educational system is made to Americanize children, by discouraging further education in Spanish and failing to provide any cultural role models. The "American identity" that Mr. Gadberry speaks of is not the problem. The problem is trying to integrate this "American identity" with the Hispanic culture they are a part of.
Having grown up in a Spanish speaking home, I am aware of the richness and diversity of the Hispanic culture. My problem is that while going to American schools for sixteen years I have gained the "American identity" but at the expense of the Hispanic identity. I think it is sad that I now find myself taking a course in Spanish that should have been part of my elementary education.
Finally, how could bilingualism isolate those who are bilingual? Bilingualism by its definition means the ability to speak two languages. Speaking one language isolates you more than speaking two. Mr. Gadberry, watch some Hispanic television. You may be surprised to find out that two other networks ex1st in Houston: Univision and Telemundo. If you spoke Spanish, you would have the opportunity to hear news from Mexico, Central America and South America reported by the people who live there, instead of being a slave to the American media.
Originally posted Monday, February 02 2004 @ 10:47 PM UTC