entitled "Speak English!" It summarized an important, but widely overlooked topic in American society: the fact that some Americans are knowledgeable of more than one language, and also have preferences over which language they choose to speak. The author included several instances in which America, over the decades, has made unwise decisions regarding whether or not to provide amnesty to countries or individuals who knew English or solely their mother tongue. An example of this would be the government-ordered institution of several hundred Cherokee Indians from Oklahoma to Americanized school systems, in which the entirety of classes were taught in English. A look into the past would uncover that, before this order, Cherokee Indians who were taught in their own schools were better able to understand the content that was covered in class, and also learned enough English to be considered literate by America's standards. The results of the institutionalization of these young students are astonishing: "40 percent of the Cherokee students became illiterate in any language" (any as in, I presume, their own language) and "75 percent dropped out of school." ("Speak English: You're in America")
The author, González, presented a structurally sound article that argued for the American public to become more aware of the injustices that some of their own may face just because they are bilingual-- however, he seemed to give more light to those who were bilingual rather than those who knew a language outside of English. Though flawed, the laws enforced by the government obviously state that English is the national language of America, and all laws should be kept in order to sustain any sense of order. This isn't to say that any and all languages besides English be banned, but that all Americans should have an understanding of the language that they choose citizenship over.
Works Cited Page:
González, Juan. Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America. New York: Viking, 2000. Print.
It's amazing how America claims to be the land of the free but the government would try to limit what languages its citizen can speak. I like how you brought up how the Cherokee students were affected by not being able to speak in their own language.
ReplyDeleteI think this goes to show how much work America has to do until progress is truly made. People should be able to speak what ever language they desire without being judged or deemed ignorant. It's time for all cultures to be accepted. I think you did a great job on your blog.
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