I am proud to say that I and my son were part of something very cool. Almost 6 years ago, he was asked to participate in the Chinese-English Dual Language Program at Glenwood. At the time, no one knew much about the program or whether it was necessary.
There were fears by Principals, community leaders, the Latino/Hispanic community and a whole bunch of people with a very limited understanding of the program's educational goals. 6 years later, the programs at Carrboro and Glenwood are still going strong.
Middle School will pose a challenge and I am not sure how it will go or even if it is necessary to continue the program beyond 5th grade. After the first year of begging children to be a part of it, it has become competitive and somewhat elitist from where I sit. This is not Travel (fill in the sport that excludes poor children, so you can brag at the office here). This is something that could be beneficial to the entire community.
When Booker T. Washington spoke at the Atlanta Exposition, he knew that the dark night of Segregation, Racism and Bigotry was about to engulf his beloved South. He knew that the gains of the Reconstruction were about to be wiped out in an instant.
How does this apply to today? What does this have to do with Dual Language Education (especially for Spanish Speaking members of our community)?
When he said:
" There is no defense or security for any of us except in the highest intelligence and development of all. If anywhere there are efforts tending to curtail the fullest growth of the Negro, let these efforts be turned into stimulating, encouraging, and making him the most useful and intelligent citizen. Effort or means so invested will pay a thousand per cent interest. These efforts will be twice blessed-" blessing him that gives and him that takes." There is no escape through law of man or God from the inevitable:
"The laws of changeless justice bind
Oppressor with oppressed;"
"And close as sin and suffering joined
We march to fate abreast."
"
As we go forward in an election where the "fake issue" will be so-called immigration reform, I ask you to consider the education of this newest oppressed minority. I ask you to consider expanding Dual Language not just in Chapel Hill, but in Orange, Chatham and throughout the State of North Carolina.
Many who would never publicly support segration, will gladly and openly support denying the rights of undocumented people living in the US to an education, a living and basic rights. We have a saying in the Referee ranks that the crew is only as good as its weakest member. If we intentionally oppress, ghettoize and deny basic rights to people who are by all rights Americans - except for one piece of paper. We are feeding into this legacy of Apartheid. Who is today's Jim Crow?
As we consider how to educate our non-English speaking population, let's let the Dual Language programs be our guide. For the Principals on the fence, the Dual Language parents will bring your school up and all boats will rise with this tide. What is clear is that both sets of children learn a second language. I still get a kick out of my son speaking Chinese to our neighbors and think how great it is that he can communicate when I cannot.
There is truly no defense as we move past 40 years of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to deny anyone an educational opportunity based on the accident of their birth.
That is simply unAmerican.
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