DEAR EDITOR:
In her letter to The Dispatch, Ms. Lerma Corpuz-Delgado raises
some interesting questions, but seems to be missing a major
”
iceberg
”
in the ocean of primary and secondary education that goes beyond
the Gilroy Unified School District. Her premise appears to be that
since everybody is equal, then everybody (in this case students)
should have equal access to assistance in their own language, no
matter how unique that language.
DEAR EDITOR:
In her letter to The Dispatch, Ms. Lerma Corpuz-Delgado raises some interesting questions, but seems to be missing a major “iceberg” in the ocean of primary and secondary education that goes beyond the Gilroy Unified School District. Her premise appears to be that since everybody is equal, then everybody (in this case students) should have equal access to assistance in their own language, no matter how unique that language.
In other words, the equality test dictates that any language qualifies, no matter how small that language-speaking group is in a particular geography. That seems rather logical, but such logic is based upon some faulty foundational principles. Of course, never mind the other major point missed – who in the world is going to PAY for all of this to happen? Ms. Corpuz-Delgado doesn’t appear to have an answer, but the default is always the taxpayers! So once again the burden of implementation would fall upon the taxpayers, who continue to be sucked-dry by government spending run amuck. But let me address one of the “iceberg”issues that concerns me the most.
The big news on the demographic front is a report from the U.S. Census Bureau that Hispanics – at 39 million strong – have surpassed blacks as the nation’s largest minority group. Perhaps the most important news from the report is a statistic that most reporters overlooked: from 2000 to 2003 Hispanics accounted for half the national increase of the U.S. population.
Hispanics make up the bulk of our legal and illegal immigrants, and already comprise a majority or near majority in cities such as Miami, Denver, Houston, San Antonio and Los Angeles. They will soon comprise the majority in much of the American southwest. If immigration and birth rates continue as they are (and there is no reason to think they won’t) we could well see the creation of an American Quebec.
Whether or not this will happen depends on the ability of the U.S. to integrate the newcomers into the mainstream of American society. Historically, learning English has been the key to assimilation for new immigrants. If this is used as a measurement, then the “melting pot” of assimilation in America today is clearly broken. The 2000 Census found that 21.3 million Americans (8 percent of the population) are classified as “limited English proficient,” a 52 percent increase from 1990, and more than double the 1980 total. More than 5 million of these people were born in the U.S.
The government makes it easy for immigrants to function in their native languages through bilingual education, multilingual ballots and driver’s license exams, government funded translators in courts, schools and hospitals, and a multitude of other programs that keep increasing year after year. Providing most essential services to immigrants in their native languages is not only expensive for American taxpayers, it serves to keep immigrants linguistically isolated.
Battles over language rage across the globe. However, since Canada is so similar to what is happening here, it offers the most instructive warning. While the Canadian policy of official multilingualism has led to disunity, resentment and near secession, it’s also very costly. Canada’s dual-language requirement costs approximately $4 billion each year. Canada has one-tenth the population of the United States and spent that amount accommodating only two languages. A similar language policy would cost the U.S. much more.
Unless the U.S. changes course, we are clearly on the road to a Canadian style system of linguistic enclaves, further wasteful government expense, language battles that fuel ethnic resentments (like Ms. Corpuz-Delgado’s letter illustrates) and, in the long run, serious ethnic and linguistic separatist movements. What is at stake here is the unity of our nation. Creating an American-style Quebec in California and other “linguistic islands” in other parts of the United States will be a disaster. More than 8 percent cannot speak English proficiently. What happens when that number turns to 25 percent? How will that build unity? And, where will it stop? Answer to both: it won’t.
Declaring English to be the official language of the United States government would bring back the incentive to learn English. A bill in Congress would make this a reality. The “English Language Unity Act,” H.R. 997, was introduced earlier this year. If it passes, we can start to rebuild the American assimilation process and lessen the amount of linguistic separation.
If it fails, we might have lost the last best chance for a sensible and cohesive language policy. If that happens we can say hasta la vista to the “United” States and adelante to Canadian style discord over language and ethnicity. The handwriting is on the wall. Do we see the handwriting and do something about it, or will we bow down to those crying that this is right-wing conspiracy promoting “racial inequality”? John Adams, the second president of the United States said the following: “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclination, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” The jury must now decide.
James Fennell, Gilroy
Wednesday, July 9 to ed****@****ic.com
