Bilingual Education
How many languages does he suggest we teach in? Offhand, we have large populations of Latinos (of several countries), Vietnamese, Chinese, Armenians, Russians, etc.
Where do we get the money for these bilingual programs since we are already in a severe budgetary crisis?
Finally, how did the masses who immigrated here at the turn of the century get by? At that time we had many Polish, German, Yiddish, Italian-speaking people come to our shores. They managed to learn English and prosper without special programs.
I think the answer may be in the fact that those turn-of-the-century immigrants were dedicated to becoming Americans and learning our language. Our newest immigrants’ hearts and minds still live in the country they left instead of America.
Surely they can preserve their culture and still learn English so they can get an eduction.
DAVID J. JOHNSON, Los Alamitos
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