RECENT ARTICLES

Immigrants are Learning English at a Faster Rate

Honoring the Military Service of America’s Latinos

Study: Latina Teen Pregnancies on the Rise

Walkout

Latinos Drive Record Surge in U.S. Naturalizations

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Immigrants are Learning English at a Faster Rate

‘If you live in America, you need to speak English.’ According to a Los Angeles Times Poll (1998), that was how three out of four voters explained their support for Proposition 227, the ballot initiative that dismantled most bilingual education programs in California.

Non- English speakers are at a disadvantage; thus schools must not fail to teach English to children from minority language backgrounds. Students’ life chances will depend to a large extent on the level of English literacy skills they achieve.
 

As the linguist Einar Haugen (1972) once observed, ‘America’s profusion of tongues has made her a modern Babel, but a Babel in reverse.’ By their third generation in the United States, newcomers have typically adopted English as their usual language and abandoned their mother tongue.
There is no reason to think the historic pattern has changed. Although
the number of minority language speakers has grown dramatically in
recent years, so too has their rate of acculturation. Census figures confirm the paradox. While a language other than English is now spoken at home by
nearly one in five US residents, bilingualism is also on the rise. A century
ago, the proportion of non-English speakers was 4.5 times as large as it is
today, and in certain states the disparity was considerably larger.  As the US population becomes increasingly diverse, linguistic assimilation
seems to be progressing rapidly by historical standards.  The political problem is that the average American has trouble believing all this.  To see chart comparing non- English speakers in 1890 and 1990 click here.

An English-only movement based on these premises came to prominence
in the 1980s. Thus far it has succeeded in legislating English as the
official language of 25 states, although such declarations have been
primarily symbolic, with few legal effects thus far.

To counter the English-only mentality, advocates have coined the slogan English Plus. They argue that the United States remains an underdeveloped country where language skills are concerned. In a global economy, more multilingualism – not less – would clearly advance the national interest.
Some English-speaking parents have been receptive to the ‘bilingual is
beautiful’ pitch. Over the past decade, growing numbers have enrolled
their children in ‘dual immersion’ classrooms alongside minority children
learning English. Yet, despite excellent reports on this method of cultivating
fluency in two languages, probably no more than 20,000 English background
students are participating nationwide. Compare that with the324,000 Canadian Anglophones enrolled in French immersion programs, in a country with one-tenth the population of the USA (Statistics Canada, 2003).

Author: James Crawford

Source: Language Policy Website

Honoring the Military Service of America’s Latinos

On Memorial Day, we commemorate the service of those who have served on behalf of our country and have given the ultimate sacrifice.  We should honor and remember these brave men and women, not just by honoring their sacrifice, but by recognizing who they were.  This Memorial Day, we should take a moment to remember all those who served and gave their lives since the founding of this great nation, including our Latino servicemen and women. 

• American Revolution: During the American Revolution, soldiers from Spain, Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic fought along side of the colonists for independence. There were many acts of courage and sacrifice by Latinos during the war, with Bernardo de Galvez leading a diverse Army and contributing to General George Washington’s success at Yorktown. 

• World War II:  Half a million Latinos served in the Armed Forces during WWII, and more than 9,000 Latinos gave their lives in defense of our country. Eleven Latinos received the Congressional Medal of Honor, including Marine PFC Guy “Gabby” Gabaldon who single-handedly captured over 1,000 enemy soldiers in the summer of 1944, more than anyone else has in the history of military conflicts.

• Korean War: Just over 300 Latinos gave their lives during the Korean War, with eight Latinos awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their bravery.  The 65th Infantry Regiment – a Puerto Rican regiment – participated in nine major campaigns, captured 2,086 enemy soldiers, and killed 5,095. Individual members of this regiment were awarded four Distinguished Service Crosses and 124 Silver Stars.

• Vietnam War: In Vietnam, 80,000 Latinos served with distinction, with one out of every three Latinos wounded and one out of every five Latinos killed in action.  In addition, fourteen Latinos were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their bravery.  Navy Lt. Everett Alvarez became the first American prisoner of war, and remained so for over eight years, the longest confirmed POW in American history.  The last American to leave Vietnam was Msgt. Juan J. Valdez, who served at the U.S. Embassy in Saigon and departed by helicopter on April 30, 1975.

• Iraq and Afghanistan: As of July 31, 2006, there were 24,188 Latino officers and enlisted soldiers deployed, with more than 360 Latinos sacrificing their lives for this country in Iraq and Afghanistan.  In fact, the first combat casualty of the Iraq war was a Latino – Marine Lance Corporal Jose Antonio Gutierrez, who died on March 21, 2003. 

Latinos have and continue to serve and sacrifice to protect the American way of life for all. In fact, Latinos have received more Purple Heart medals than any other ethnic group.

Source: The website of Senator Robert Menendez

Study: Latina Teen Pregnancies on the Rise

“Latino teens have the highest rate of teen pregnancy and births among all racial/ethnic groups”, according to the results of a study released today.

The survey- commissioned by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and the National Council of La Raza- concluded that the overall teen birth rate in the U.S. has grown for the first time in fourteen years.

According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 53 percent of Latinas get pregnant in their teens, about twice the national average.

In addition, the influence of parents on Latino teens is vital. Nearly half of Latino teens say parents most influence their decisions; far more than friends (14%), religious figures (3%) and the media (2%). But almost three-quarters say that parents send different messages on sex to sons compared to daughters. 49% say their parents have talked to them about contraception, thus explaining why most of those who don’t use birth control cited fear of their parents finding out.

The study comes on the heels of another analysis conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention out-of-wedlock birth rates have gone up, especially among Latinas. Silvia Henriquez- executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health- warned that the results shouldn’t be misconstrued to stigmatize single motherhood:
(…) we need to take this opportunity to call for greater economic support, health care access and education for all women, so that those wishing to be mothers can raise healthy and happy children, with or without the support of a spouse. Specifically we must remember that women still get paid less than men do for the same work and that women who are insured pay higher insurance premiums for health care coverage than men do. Both of these issues put single working mothers at a lower socio-economic status than women in two income households.

Source: ourlatinamerica.blogspot.com

Walkout

On March 18, the HBO cable television network premiered “Walkout,” a film based on the 1968 protest by thousands of Mexican American students from five East Lost Angeles high schools.

On March 27, some 40,000 high school students in Southern California walked out to protest of anti-immigration legislation. “Walkout” director Edward James Olmos was right when he said the struggle for equality and civil rights is far from over.

Back in 1968, Latino students were tired of racial injustice, discrimination in the school system and lack of equal opportunities. The youth came together and led a multi-school walkout that became part of the rising Chicano movement. “Walkout” shares that historic story.

The movie shows how students organized walkouts after lobbying the school board for improved facilities, bilingual education, revised textbooks and the ability to speak Spanish in class without being reprimanded.

The youth-led movement, inspired by the civil rights movement, also demanded implemention of a curriculum that included Latin American history, and elimination of janitorial work as punishment.

“Our schools are the back of the bus,” yelled one student leader in the movie.

The walkouts were peaceful demonstrations that erupted into unnecessary acts of violence when an overzealous and aggressive racist police force beat and arrested unarmed students.

An outraged community was awakened and a fight for justice was born that first got parents involved, then community leaders, eventually forcing the school board to pay attention.

In the end the Chicano movement produced real changes, increasing Latino college enrollment by nearly 25 percent two years after the protest.

Moctesuma Esparza, who produced the film, was a college student at the time.

He was one of the main organizers of the student walkouts of that time and was arrested with 12 others — “East L.A. 13,” as they became known. All were eventually acquitted.

“I remember, growing up in the ’50s, when someone said you were ‘Mexican’ it was almost like being slapped in the face,” the 57-year-old recalled in a recent interview with the Houston Chronicle.

Esparza went on to say, “How one’s ancestry could be pejorative is hard to grasp today, but there have been people who have experienced discrimination and overcame it, and that’s one of the things we were looking to do, to stand up for our rights and be treated like all other Americans.

“The free speech movement of ’64 at Berkeley, the civil rights movement of Dr. Martin Luther King, what Cesar Chavez was doing in the fields and the growing women’s movement were all very vivid examples to us.

“There was a feeling we could change the world,” he concluded. “That’s what protected and motivated us.”

To read full article click here.

Source pww.org

Author: Pepe Lozano

Latinos Drive Record Surge in U.S. Naturalizations

Nearly half of the record-setting 1 million new U.S. citizens sworn in last year were Latino immigrants — a 95 percent increase among that ethnic group from the previous year, according to an analysis by an Hispanic advocacy organization.

Department of Homeland Security data shows the number of immigrants naturalized in the U.S. grew from about 660,000 in 2007 to more than 1 million in 2008 — an increase of roughly 58 percent. The Houston metropolitan area saw more than 28,000 naturalizations last year, an increase of roughly 54 percent from 2007.

Nationally, Latino naturalizations jumped 95 percent from about 237,000 in 2007 to 461,000 in 2008, according to the analysis released Tuesday by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. NALEO used data from the DHS’ Office of Immigration Statistics, counting immigrants who hailed from predominantly Spanish-speaking countries as Latinos.

Sociologists cited a number of factors for the naturalization increase, including the desire to vote in the historic 2008 presidential election and a rush to beat a naturalization fee increase in summer 2007. The increase in naturalization applications also coincided with a high-profile outreach campaign with the slogan, “It is time — Citizenship!” which was supported by organizations including NALEO, unions and many in the Spanish-language media.

Nestor Rodriguez, a sociology professor at the University of Texas, said the growth in naturalization applicants was expected based on the level of legal immigration to the U.S. in the 1990s. More than 9.7 million people were admitted as legal permanent residents during that decade, he said, roughly 80 percent of them from Latin America and Asia. Although it takes only five years for a green-card holder to be eligible for citizenship, many historically have waited to take the oath.

Rodriguez added that some new citizens may have been spurred to action by the fee increase that took effect in July 2007 and raised the cost of a citizenship application from $330 to $595.

Tom Janoski, an associate professor of sociology from the University of Kentucky who has researched international naturalization trends, said some new citizens may have been driven to apply because of a fear of deportation in many immigrant communities.

“One factor that causes people to naturalize is that they’re scared,” Janoski said.

To read full article click here. 

Author: Susan Carroll

 Source:  Houston Chronicle