"This is a post script. I was talking to my dad last week regarding the immigration issue and he made a rather odd analysis that I can't dismiss. He suggested that maybe we should pay for Mexican children to learn English in school before they get here.
I've been thinking about it".
Something interesting about educating children of illegals of today..
When I was growing up there were a large number of Mexican families that lived in our school district (don't know if they were legal or not) We had a good Independent School Board and at that time when they enrolled in school and could not speak English, they were separated from us into their own first grade and had a bilingual teacher that taught them to speak and read English and have a good understanding of what they were taught. They had no competition from us and that was the agenda of their dedicated teacher to teach them. If they did not accomplish all of these tasks in one year, then they were not allowed to go on to second grade and repeated first grade again. English was mandatory for them.
We all integrated into second grade together. I never remember there ever being any racial problems involved either. They did learn these tasks and went through all 12 grades to graduation with us. I might add that many then went on to college and were highly successful in their careers. It was never deemed necessary for us to study Spanish until we got to Junior High School and were offered a class of Conversational Spanish. When we made our four year plans for Senior High School, Spanish was a foreign language included for requirements for entrance to colleges, along with other languages to choose from.
We never saw billboards or signs anywhere else that catered to their necessities as we do now. I believe this was a very effective way to dealing with their integration into our public education system. Our parents saw that it worked, accepted it and saw nothing but good come of it. Most of these children's parents did not speak English, so by teaching these children those skills early in their education, they were able to help their parents learn what they learned and were excited to do so. Something else I remember was that the children I attended class with never spoke in Spanish during school hours, that was their "at home" language and we never had to get upset wondering about what they were saying or thinking it might be a negative conversation about us. It just didn't happen during school hours. We all played on the playground together at recess and there was no squabbles between us. They learned to say the Pledge of Allegiance, sing our National songs, the Lord's Prayer and became Americanized in heart and spirit, still retaining their cultural histories of their origin of birth and race, and without prejudice to their being forced to learn to integrate into our world. Most were very happy to get an equal education with us.
I believe our system of education was much better back then at giving them skills that afforded them to go on to higher education as many did and there certainly were less race issues than we see today. I do know we are talking in larger numbers than back then, but I think it could still work to a large extent in alleviating the welfare issues, criminal issues and educational issues we deal with now. I do believe knowledge is power and with that power they become better citizens.
Many of our great or great-great grandparents came to America and had to learn to speak the English language or be left behind in employment opportunities and the majority of them learned to integrate into our styles of life and still maintain the differences in culture in their daily home lives. It is agreed many of them came over here after applying for legal entry on quotas to find better lives also and did not believe their new Government owed them anything. They had a strong work ethnic and wanted to succeed to better their families lives. I have read we still have many that want to come into the United States the proper way by visas to work and it would be a welcome if they realized that by coming here they needed to be able to speak our language and not the other away around, force us to learn their's. It would benefit them in being bilingual also. With our diversity many companies are looking for bilingual employees.
Yesterday I saw a group of veterans standing on the medians with American flags and holding signs that said, "Say No to Guest Worker Permits". This to me is surely a sign of grievances about illegals working in our country without regards to our laws and people not wanting them to come in on Guest Permits. Our population is exploding at the seams and so many are slipping through the cracks. I believe they are exploited in so many ways by those wanting "cheap" labor and most of them have little or no education. We are educating their children and that is the area I think we need to put more emphasis on. Start educating them in their very early years and possibly we won't see them repeat behavior and they will have good opportunities to be good citizens and not expect our Government to provide for them or make exceptions for them, in other words, learn to earn their way to our way of life and be free to do so. Or they may choose to go back to their home lands if they are educated and make a good life where they originally came from. Can benefit their home Countries also.
I believe we need to get back to the basics of education and apply them across our borders where they are direly needed if we are to resolve any of the issues of illegals coming into our Country. We live in a free and wonderful Country and a giving Country and our social issues are important to us. I also know that we have to have funds to do this and need to cut our budgets in other areas to achieve the funds we need for education, especially since we are having to spend such huge amounts on the war we're fighting for democracy in Iraq. I believe there is the way to make sure we have those funds. Let our Government representatives know we expect them to monitor their budgets, cut the fat out of them and find the funds to do this. If they can't accomplish this, send them back home and elect others who can and are willing to do so.
Just my thoughts when I read this post. I have really thought about this a lot. I think this would be a workable solution to so many problems we are faced with at this time. Yes, it will take our time and money, but I believe it is worth accomplishing and will benefit them and us in return. |
