#128 Postby Thierry_Gironde » Mon Mar 27, 2006 2:15 pm
I went to high school in the SF Bay Area in California from 1998-2001, and I don't recall any alternative schools or students without English speaking skills being allowed to opt out of ESL--maybe it's different now? Back then it was an absolute requirement, but was, and I suspect still is, ineffective because it's bogged by down politics and the fundamental, pedagogical difficulties of teaching another language (English) to students who may not all speak the same language themselves.
Someone mentioned something about mathematics classes taught in Spanish or something; that's kind of a unique issue because, as a number of linguists and psycholinguists have noticed, even after gaining fluency in a second language, a person still tends mentally use their native language for counting and such. I still count and recite phone numbers and such to myself in French, so I can understand the thinking behind such a class, regardless of whether it's right or wrong.
I agree that those seeking to immigrate should at least have a functional grasp of English, but in some cases that's not possible; an asylum seeker who leaves his/her country in fear and desperation would likely have more to worry about. Also, it might be the case that English education is not available to some; they may have lived in an isolated town, could not afford to attend school, or perhaps trying to secure the basic necessities for themselves/family took precedence?
I do not think though that increasing border patrols, a fence, etc really addresses the issue. To stop illegal immigration, it would be best to confront the reasons it occurs--that is, why do they leave, what are they looking for? If there is no financial opportunity for them at home, and they see crossing the border as their only chance, they'll cross even at risk of death--border patrols and such won't stop it.
I suppose I have mixed feelings about the protests; it's great to see people engaged in an issue, though I may not agree with all of the reasons, but they're pointless because they seek to treat the symptoms of the problem instead of getting to the cause. Yes, illegal immigrants have broken the law, but they should certainly be treated respectfully and with dignity; however, instead of putting so much energy into debate on the issue here, I wonder if it would not be a better use of energy to advocate for improved economic, working, and social conditions...I guess in this case within Mexico. If there is opportunity at home, why go elsewhere? I'm not sure I am writing too clearly...ugh.
Someone mentioned political correctness...heh. Despite my tendency towards extreme liberalism, I find the PC thing disturbing and it really highlights the basic issue of leftist thought--that it's somewhat tyrannical in nature, and that leftists will never be satisfied, there will always be some new cause celebre. For example, maybe in the future they won't find warning labels on alcoholic drinks to be enough, so they ban advertising it, but even that may not be enough, so they may introduce a law that puts an upper limit on alcohol content, etc. I know this is a bit off topic, but I just thought I'd share. Wow, this turned into a bit of a long one...
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