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Proposition 63: <i> ‘Se Habla Ingles’</i>

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I read Del Olmo’s article with great interest and almost with as much agreement.

I am not aware of all the fine points of Proposition 63, but will vote against it in November. From what I do know I would probably agree with him that it is a poorly written piece of legislation. But the idea of speaking, reading and writing the language of your adopted or birth country, I believe is imperative!

I am a first-generation American, happy that my parents chose this country as their safe haven from the Cossacks of Russia. They never stopped speaking Yiddish throughout their lives, but they both, upon arriving in this country, immediately enrolled in school to learn and become literate in the language of their new country. They then became American Jews, adding to the wonderful mixed cultural society of this country.

I grew up in East Los Angeles, (Boyle Heights) and completed my public education there, graduating from Roosevelt High School. The community was a natural mix of people from many different lands and varied languages. My concern is more with the memory of so many American-born, Spanish-speaking students, staying separate by choice, and not speaking English. Some 30 years later this same thing occurred in the schools my children attended in West Los Angeles.

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I can’t believe that any other country in the world would publish their ballots, driver tests, etc., in any other language than that of the country involved.

Legislation may not be the realistic approach to create a priority to learn English; however I also think it is naive to believe that by waiting a few years things will change for new immigrants “by listening to rock ‘n’ roll like their peers.” They must also learn to read, write and speak English like their peers.

MARION COHEN

Los Angeles

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