Habla Ingles?

A middle school principal in the Hempstead (Tx) Independent School District (ISD) has been fired for reportedly announcing over the school intercom that students were to refrain from speaking Spanish on school premises.  While some parents supported the principal, others have deemed her ban as racist.  Either way, it’s another sign of the divisiveness of the country.

One person interviewed during the controversy stated, “I think she [the principal] was trying to get the students to understand that they are being taught in English, their state testing is going to be given in English, all of their tests say you will answer in English.”  A mother of one of the Spanish-speaking students told KHOU 11 News that, “you’re handicapping our children. You’re telling them you can’t speak Spanish, and you can’t have anyone translating for you.”  But does a ban on speaking Spanish in school really handicap them?  Test scores would indicate that the answer is no.

According to the Texas Tribune, a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization, the Hempstead ISD has approximately 1500 students.  Over 48% of the students are Hispanic.  Only 57% of the Hispanic students passed the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standardized tests and 34% of Hempstead students were deemed college-ready in both math and English language arts; both results are below the state average.  Yet, Hempstead ISD spends more per student than the rest of the state.  Could poor language skills be the reason for poor test scores? And do the test scores matter?

Of all immigrants, those from Mexico are the largest group according to the Migration Policy Center.  Nearly 40% of Mexican immigrants worked in unskilled labor and were more likely to live below the poverty level than other immigrant groups. However, about 71% of all Mexican immigrants had limited English language skills, compared to 51% for all other immigrants.  Of the 10 largest immigrant groups, Mexican immigrants are the least assimilated, according to a Manhattan Institute study.

If immigrants can’t communicate in English, how can they acquire better skills, pursue higher education, or interact effectively with others?  The fact of the matter is, they can’t. And, quite often the burden falls on the rest of us.  Mexican immigrants are more likely to be on welfare, have a higher rate of teen pregnancies, and a higher rate of incarceration than any other immigrant group.  While those costs may be obvious, there are other hidden costs that we as consumers have to pay.

How many signs and labels do you see printed in both English and Spanish?  The printing isn’t free, so who pays for it? For every product you buy that has a bilingual label, the cost of that label is part of the price tag.  The price for every bilingual sign on a store front or advertisement is part of the price tag of the product or service you purchase.  It may only be a few pennies, but over time the costs adds up. And all consumers pay those costs, immigrants and native-born alike.

Was the principal being racist? Probably not, but she could have done a better job of communicating why she wanted students to speak English in school.  And if she truly wanted the students to become more fluent in English, then she’s simply being a good teacher; the more fluent they are, the better the test scores and the more opportunities for advanced education and employment.

As I did my research for this blog, I couldn’t help but wonder this; if an immigrant is unwilling to assimilate into American society, where does his or her allegiance lay?  Do they identify more with the country of birth or the United States?  If not with the US, then why are they here? George Washington, in his Farewell Address, wrote, “Citizens, by birth or choice, of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations.” 

When large segments of the immigrant population fail to assimilate into American culture, there will be divisiveness. For as St. Augustine observed, “When men cannot communicate their thoughts to each other, simply because of difference in language, all the similarity of their common human nature is of no avail to unit them in fellowship.” Although no official language is mentioned or contemplated in the Constitution, English is the prime language of the US.  It’s time America became the melting pot again.

Poor Choices

Another post by John Galt

Recently, I read an article honoring people for performing acts of service to their communities.  It is inspiring that so many want to help those less fortunate.  One story caught my eye, not because of the honoree, but because the condition exists in this country—many kids in this country don’t have enough to eat.  The article honors the local churches that provide students on free lunch programs with food for the weekends.  Although they get breakfasts and lunches at school during the week, they may not have food over the weekend.  According to the US Department of Agriculture (www.fns.usda.gov), in 2013, almost 20 million students participate in the free lunch program.  The number has doubled since the 1980s.  I wonder if this is a measure of our country’s economy, or of people’s choices.

What would cause a family to live below the poverty line?  Well, if you get down to it, it is all about our choices.  In a society that rarely holds itself accountable; we blame others for our condition.  What if we saved up to go to college or to learn a trade rather than spending our money on cell phones and status, showy purchases?  What if you pursued a degree that is in demand and would afford a comfortable lifestyle rather than a degree that fills a square, but nothing more?  I’m not slamming history majors or psychology students, but without advanced degrees, what are your employment options?  In many cases, an in-demand junior college trade degree will give you earning potential and a flurry of employment offers at graduation.  Consider the value of your education dollar.  Have you seen what an electrician or plumber makes an hour?  And for half of what your bachelor’s degree in British Literature cost you.  Education opens doors to opportunity, probably more than any other factor.

We have to get past demanding instant gratification.  You don’t need the biggest, best, shiniest bauble in the store window.  You don’t need the latest iPhone.  Looking up the latest scores or notifying the world that you just stuffed your face at an expensive restaurant on your facebook page doesn’t have to happen right this second.  You don’t need a new car; you need a quality means of transportation.  Most $50 sneakers are just as good as the $200 brand.  Why pay $100 for a pair of jeans if you can buy quality below $20 a pair.  It’s a choice.  Credit card debt is not a badge of honor.  It is a strike against you and a notice that you are unable to manage your money.  Save up for something that matters, something that will improve your life, not just impress your friends.  Consider your needs, not your wants and make a choice. 

Personal choices aren’t just about money or education.  Teenage pregnancy alters your life by taking away choices.  Losing your virginity at an early age is not a badge of honor and it doesn’t define you as a man or as a woman.  Parenting responsibilities change your priorities and the course of your life. Oftentimes education has to wait while you work to feed your family.  Sometimes you just drop out of school and demands keep you from ever going back to school.  Some people choose drugs or alcohol over education or their job.  Addiction can consume them, destroying their health and their prospects.  Still, these are personal choices.

There are some factors that are out of our control such as the loss of manufacturing, technology and research jobs in this country, natural disasters like flood and drought, and crime.  We should honor those that render aid and those that pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and try again.  Americans are a resourceful lot.  I hope that our economy will recover and spawn new jobs that grow our economy.  I believe that we will always render aid to those affected by natural disaster and by crime. 

Notice that I didn’t say anything about anyone owing you anything or spreading the wealth.  I don’t agree with entitlements.  They make people weak and willing to accept handouts.  Reliance on handouts and entitlements will never lift you over the poverty level.  The math just doesn’t work.  Taking charge of your own destiny and self-reliance are the key to success.  That used to be an attribute of the American spirit.  Over the years, it has been replaced with political rhetoric creating a divisive mistrust between the haves and the have-nots.  Just as it is a crime to break into my house and steal my hard-earned money, it is a crime to force me to pay into entitlement programs.  I don’t get a say in either situation.

So, is it choices or the economy that determine the amount of poverty in this country?  Although the unemployment rate has declined in the last year, job growth isn’t in high-paying jobs; it is service industry and retail jobs.  These aren't the kind of jobs that grow the economy of a country.  A poor economy drives up crime rates and the use of drugs and alcohol.  Those factors either directly or indirectly affect our society. 

The answer to the causes of poverty in this country is not all one or the other.    Maybe the key is hope.  A society mired in a poor economy can lose hope and stop trying to succeed.  Without hope, people throw away their choices and search for an escape or instant gratification from shopping, sex, alcohol, and drugs.  Maybe without hope we just live for today and not for tomorrow.  Without hope, our society doesn’t aspire to something better or create opportunities to do great things.  We fail to look beyond the end of our nose.  Without economic growth, poverty will continue.  Distrust and dislike will grow between the perceived haves and have-nots, fueled by rhetoric and the media.  We have to stop this slow, painful demise of the American spirit before it is too late.