A little background on the community in which I work: it is comprised mainly of hispanic immigrants from Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, and Columbia. I work in an elementary school where about 90% of the parents are Spanish speaking only. When conversating with many of these parents, it has come to my attention that they desperately need/want to learn the English language. The people I have spoken with have expressed to me they feel responsible to help their children with their homework and other assignments but simply cannot because they are in English. If they dont have kids themselves, the women in our community spend their time working as a babysitter, housecleaner, or nanny. The men are mostly cooks or physical laborers, such as construction or landscaping. They work two or three jobs and can barely afford to put food on the table let alone pay for English instruction. It is now my inclination to ask, "If we are hte melting pot, then who will provide the means to acculturation?" The reason many first generation children fail to succeed is because they cannot fully identify with their immigrant parents nor can they fully identify with their American counterparts.
How do we get the necessary resources for the have-nots? Who offers educational programs for new comers to this country? Why is it not more regimented? How do we expect the children of non-English speaking families to thrive? Is that fair?? To expect that children who are at a serious disadvantage to succeed to the same level as their "Americanized" peers. Is this a way for our country to keep the disparity level so great between the haves and the have-nots? What do you guys have to say?
