As I read the articles, “Ovuh Dyuh” and “No Kinda Sense”, found myself wondering how the Mexican-American and Hispanic population feels in reguards to language.
How many times have you heard someone say “If you want to live in America, learn to speak English!”
In the rural area I live in, I hear this almost daily. In our school system, ELL students make up about 40 % of each classroom. That is a huge number that has soared in the past fifteen years.
So how do these children and families feel about being made to learn our language in order to communicate in our country? They did not come here to live and work just so that they could learn English and be somewhat forced to leave their own culture behind.
As Americans, how would we feel if we had to move to a non-English speaking country in order to better our lives and were expected to leave behind our native language and learn something new? Would we not feel discriminated against? We certainly would feel like we were “less” than those around us. How difficult would that be to not understand the people around you and not to understand signs and other types of information crucial to daily living?
I think that the assumption that all Hispanic people need to learn English is very right. Most of the older generations and some of the younger ones feel like their culture and family histories are being lost in the land of the “white” person. But, it is easy to see that it can be merely a way to survive. The problem is finding a balance between forming a second language and keeping your cultural self intact.
Sarah Hutson
Comments (2)
Your school sounds a lot like the one that I work at-out in the country. The Hispanic population has increased greatly in the past 5 years, many of which are illegal. I have one Mexican-American boy in my classroom who is bilingual. He speaks better English than he does Spanish. This is good because neither of his parents can speak English. They only know a few phrases in English. When speaking at times the young boy places some of the words backwords. Also, I have noticed he has trouble finding the words to express meaning. In class I have worked with him on this as well as his ELL teacher. In relation to those being afraid of losing their herritage I can and do see it happening. As a "white" person I know it is us and our culture that has allowed this. I hear daily how people wish this group of people would pack up and go home, especially if they are illegal! I agree they should go home if they are illegal because I do not find it fair to the American citizens for them to get free health care and other things like that.
I have been to Mexico and I know how foreign it can feel by being in a foreign land. Just as you stated in your post I agree they should know the langauage because it will make life easier for them. If I were to move to Mexico I would completely agree with having to learn Spanish and their culture.
Posted by Candace Barnes | June 8, 2010 12:43 PM
Posted on June 8, 2010 12:43
Candace,
Ich schätze, was du zu sagen hatte.
My family, on my Father’s side, emigrated from Germany and less than one hundred years ago they were a part of a town they built named Germantown. My great grandmother lived with us and as a small child she shared with me stories of my great-grandfather growing up as a first generation American. The town was established because the immigrants weren’t being dealt with fairly in business and felt threatened in certain areas of Forsyth County. His parents were resented for moving in and taking on farmland that others wanted and for speaking a language that was un-American. As a small child my grandfather leaned about the business of farming because he was the family’s translator. In my great grandmother’s words, “They were despised for being so German.”
To me what you are describing is very similar to where my family came from. America didn’t lose anything with my great grandfather’s generation but they gained proud Americans with a rich culture that was shared and eventually accepted by the masses. As far as our German language I am sad to say that it died with my great grandfather. He was bilingual but saw no need to teach his children a language that would only separate them from what they were becoming.
My brothers and I are fascinated by our past and we try to carry on those few traditions that remain from that part of us. It makes me no less American to be proud of my past.
Candy Bodenhamer-Mooney
Posted by Candy Mooney | June 8, 2010 2:36 PM
Posted on June 8, 2010 14:36