Bilingual Initiative

I’ve been practicing general pediatrics in Inglewood for over 10 years. There has been a big increase in immigrant families. I learned Spanish so I could communicate directly with the many children and parents I care for. And I help them along with their English. I spend a lot of time talking about school and education. The struggles of these folks often remind me of my own parents’ struggles when they came here looking for a better life in 1950. It is my sense that bilingual education is a good way to help these kids become active citizens and productive adults.

The Ron Unz initiative, “English for the Children,” is a goofy idea pushed by a guy who can write big checks. His one-size-fits-all solution is exactly what young families don’t need to integrate themselves into American culture and daily life. Bilingual education needs improvement, but the extreme Unz initiative is not the fix we need.

STEVE TARZYNSKI MD

Inglewood