Comment

Likely House Judiciary Chairman Is an Anti-Immigration Extremist and Birther

65
Obdicut (Now with 2% less brain)11/11/2012 1:30:00 pm PST

re: #58 Achilles Tang

It is sad that this issue is another in the “dog whistle” category, and English is the de facto language of the USA in any case so these bills are just posturing. However having said that, it is true that there are advantages to having a common language and it should be encouraged, and taught, in ways that do not cause hardship or discrimination without that approach becoming yet another political football.

Kids of immigrants always learn English. It’ll happen naturally. They’re going to pick it up. It’s better if we teach them it thoroughly when their kids, but there’s nothing at all wrong with being bilingual. There’s nothing wrong with teaching a kid who speaks Spanish and only a little English, teaching him math in Spanish until his English can catch up. In fact, it is what you have to do.

Bills mandating instruction only in English cheat children out of a good education. We have kids entering our system every year who aren’t fluent yet. It benefits all of us if we educate them.