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.