The Threat of Language :: Essays Papers

The Threat of Language the States is a earth that promotes the image of diversity among its citizens. This diversity is what makes American unique and different from any(prenominal) other country in the world. As years pass the pagan population of the United States grows at a rate comparable to the fixture at which a bullet flies. With so many different cultures and languages coexistent within the boundaries of this nation, a question arises. Do languages other than incline threaten Americans ability to unite soci eithery, politically, and economically?Richard Rodriguez is a arrant(a) example of an immigrant that came to American with his family and didnt know any incline. Starting when he was a young child Rodriguez had a very difficult cartridge clip making friends and feeling comfortable fall out in public. This was because he didnt know how to communicate with people outside his home. Richard realized that the only fashion for him to break this social barrier wa s to be able to speak English like everyone else. Rodriguez was not just able to learn English that he also was able to gain his own individuality with out loosing his ethnic stress. The bilingualists insist that a student should be reminded of his difference from others in mass society, his heritage. But they equate mere separateness with individuality. Rodriguez regained his individuality when he was able to communicate and express himself to the community in which he lived. With the brute of the English language under his belt Rodriguez was able to succeed and circumstances with others his experiences and feelings.Is it necessary for people of different cultures and languages to be able to speak English in order to succeed in America? Should their ethnic background be sacrificed in order to fit into American society? The U.S. segment of Education enacted the Lau decision to increase funding for bilingual education all over America. Many immigrants felt that this incr eased funding wasnt percentage to teach the children well enough. In one case a Chinese man in San Francisco complained that his children were at a disadvantage, both socially and economically because they werent being taught English adequately. The statistics are staggering regarding the success place of minorities throughout high school and college. A report by the American Council of Education states that 50 percent of all Hispanic youths in America drop out of high school, and only 7 percent culture college.