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I think that the parents need to take responsibility for their children's education and instill the importance of learning and mastering the english language. I worked as an instructional assistant in Northern California for 4 years in a class made up of limited english profiiceincy students, predominantly from Mexico or with parents from Mexico and I can relate to alatinteacher's comments. I am Mexican American also and it frustrated me to see the resistance to learn English in the students. What made it even more frustrating was the coddling of these students by the school and district as a whole. Instead of empowering students they shackled schakled them to mediocrity both in their educational careers and there futures. I run into many of these students who were in the fifth grade when I worked with them and are now in their early twentys and they have been relegated to service jobs and stil are not fluent in English! And they graduated from high school?! The few who have done well and went on to college were the ones who had parents who encouraged their children and taught the improtance and the value of an American education.

The liberal school systems and government systems that keep telling these new immigrants (and the poor in general) that they cannot make it without a constant hand from the government in the form of food stamps and countless other services and without everything printed in their native language are doing a disservice to them.

When I lived in Tahoe people are always reminded not to feed the bears, don't make it easy for them to acces your garbage and get a free meal. The reason being that the bears would stop hunting and their off spring would not grow up learning how to fend for themselves, then becoming a burden and danger to the community . Maybe these institutions that insist on making everything easy for new immigrants (and citizens in general) need to adopt this attitude more often.

There is no reason to make English "the official language  of Bakersfield."  It already is, and the State of California already (several years ago, I believe) made it the "official language of the state."  So why the rhetoric?  In my opinion, this "official language" is a non-issue designed to appeal to basic fears and prejudices against minorities.  There is no reason why we cannot speak both English and Spanish (the two dominant languages).  There is also  no reason why we cannot start more dual-immersion programs where students learn both languages throughout their years in school (K-12).  However, the general public just doesn't believe that it is important to learn to speak two languages.  In European biligualism is the rule; everyone speaks two languages because they learn both their native language (German, for example) as well as English.  We have German friends who speak very good English because they studied English from the time they were little kids.

And if a person doesn't speak English (in other words breaks the law), how are we going to punish this person?  How could you justify  punishing  someone just for speaking in their native tongue?  If you cannot enforce a law, why have it anyway?

It is also against federal laws to discriminate against people on the basis of race.  We cannot deny immigrants basic services (legal or non-legal).  The federal and state governments need to get to work and develop guest worker programs to help immigrants come to the U.S. and find work.  It's just that the federal and state governments haven't done their jobs to promote guest worker programs so that people can enter lawfully to find work where they are desperately need.  Unfortunately,  terrible injustices may be perpetrated because of all the angry rhetoric about immigrants.  I never thought I would hear such ignorant talk about people of other races, denying them services, etc.  World War II and the Nazi death camps should have taught us more than it has about the dangers of villifying people of other races and ethnicities!

I AGREE with "anonymous" !!  If employers did not hire undocumented aliens, then there would be no reason to chase the American Dream because there would be no jobs for them.  And I also agree with "alatinteacher"  that "Perhaps we shouldn't make English the official language in Bakersfield".  As we all know, that will never happen.  What a great discussion!!  Thanks!!

So teachers are to blame for today's kids not learning? For every 4 incoming 9th graders, 1 did not graduated from the 8th grade. And we're talking about AMERICAN born students,especially Mexicans. Is it our fault that these students arrive with a reading level of 3rd grade? Is it our fault that incoming 9th graders can't even multiply or divide. WHAT HAPPEN TO THE PARENTS? Our job is to TEACH, not RAISE. It doesn't help much when the student can't speak or understand ENGLISH. How is it that Middle Easterner, Filipinos, Indians and other ethincs groups are speaking and understanding ENGLISH within ONE (1) or 2 YEARS.  After learning ENGLISH at school for about 3 hours, they then go home and turn on and LISTEN to ENGLISH T.V and ENGLISH radio. They emmerse themselves in the ENGLISH language. WHY? Because they don't have no other choice. I doubt that they'll be able to located a "novela" in their language or any other program.  Putting the BLAME on teacher is a CHEAP SHOT. I suppose if I go to Mexico or any other country, I can ASSUME that the country's school district will PROVIDE my kids with BILINGUAL education in ENGLISH.  Yeah Right!!  But then again these Mexican students don't have to learn English. Why should they? You don't need to learn English to work in the fields, mow the lawns, wash dishes, clean our houses. WHY learn English? Our future Mexican kids have a LIFETIME job waiting for them at Ranch Market, Vallarta and The Mercado Latino. Perhaps we shouldn't make English the official language in Bakersfield.

Nicely said "Latin Teacher"  I totally agree.

Illegal workers would not come to the U.S. if no one would hire them here.  Imagine that novel idea!  It is amazing that we do not vigorously prosecute businesses who hire illegal immigrants.  What is so terribly wrong is to hire illegal immigrants, then turn around and blame them for being here.  It's like we want "to have our cake and eat it too."  (We want cheap fruits and vegetables, cheap gardening services, cheap hotel rooms, and cheap new housing costs, yet we do not want to provide services to those who come here and make all these amenities possible at a drastically reduced cost!)   I do not understand why people do not see the inherent contradiction in their thinking.

Anti-immigrant rhetoric is not going to change anything if employers continue to hire illegal immigrants.  If the situation is anyone's fault, the blame rests squarely on the employers for providing jobs to people without papers.  We cannot have cheap goods, yet disciminate against the people who make these cheap goods possible.  Why do people not get it?

Nope, no one will brand you as anything but as a Mexican-American educator.  Yes, this is the United States and although English is the primary language, there are other languages spoken here too as everyone knows.  People communicate in many forms and languages and all those are still used today and will continue till the end of time.  Some people communicate with sign language, others with brail, others with a grunt and some people don't communicate at all with their kids or spouses.   The key is that people should communicate with one another in one form or another.   What happened at the Tower of Babel?  Everyone spoke the same language and didn't God change their language in order to stop their plans to finsih the tower to the heavens?  I don't know why language is an issue since we all have the right to speak any language we want.

One of the reasons we go to school is to learn.  Is it not the school's duty to teach?  If a student goes to school for 4 years and doesn't learn the English language or anything else, who's at fault?  The students or the schools?  My guess would be the schools for not teaching them as required.  How can a teacher in his own mind pass a student from one grade to an other and even give him a diploma, if he does not understand the subjects taugh and flunks all courses requiredt?   And yet....this is happening in many school districts and yes, even here in Kern County.

One thing that bothers me is that whenever someone talks about illegal immigration, they automatically refer to them as "Mexicans".  We should open our minds and understand that Mexico is not the only country south of the border.  If you take a roll call, I'm sure you'll find students from all over the world.  It's just that a vast majority of immigrants from other countries use the USA/Mexican border as a gateway to cross because of it's convenience.  You think building a wall will stop illegal immigration?  Ja ja ja ja.  That's funny!   It may slow down some people for a little while but that's all it will do....slow them down.  Even if you had the wall up 1000 feet, they will find a way....and they have, as you have learned in the news.  Was it built to stop terroists from coming into this country?  Nah!!  Terrorists come when they're young, educated in our universities and then they do their dirty deeds.  Or they'll simple get a passport and come in legally.   Illegal immigrants also easily cross through our border crossings every day.   I'm sure you heard the saying, "Money talks!"  It speaks in all languages at the border crossings.   

 I'm pretty sure the Welfare Dept  not only provides assistance to Mexicans but also families from other countries who are living here.  Oh yeah, and how about those born here who would never work out in the fields because of the dirt, dust, bugs, hot sun and hard work.   Do any of them receive welfare?   Mexicans are also not the only people that may not be able to speak English.  My guess is that the majority of them are from other countries other than Mexico because just about everyone with an education in Mexico speaks English.

I'm just glad that you're not standing in the middle of a Mexican plaza when you're saying that Mexicans are  "REAL RACISTS".   I am a Mexican/American and a US citizen.  I love this country and will do everything I can to defend it.  I proudly fly the American flag on holidays and special days.  But my heritage is from Mexico and am proud to say I was born there (although my wife claims I'm a gringo!).  I have family in Mexico and  one thing that really amazes me is how the Mexican people proudly go out in front of their homes and sweep the front yard, sidewalk, gutters and streets with a broom.   Have I seen this here?  Occasionaly by some Latinos but most people wait for the city street sweeper.  I have driven  all over  Mexico in my car.  Yes, I did stop at a check point once,   My mother, residing in USA,  didn't have her permit and she was not deported.  She is from Guadalajara so I wonder where they would have deported her to? 

I wonder if it was the other way around and the US citizens were going to Central and South America or other countries illegal, would the US government stop them from going?  Finally I would not like anyone saying that the US government is racist because everyone is allowed to come in and we were formed by people from other parts of the world.   In turn, Mexico is not racist since they also allow anyone from any country to come in.  They're not as rich as the USA but they are a proud of what they have.   What I can't really understand is how someone with roots in another country can put down that country.  We are ONE race of many tongues and we should all live together in harmony.  (somebody stop me!  I write too much!)

I guess I'll be branded a traitor or racist but here goes. As a Mexican-American educator, I agree totally with the coucilman. This is the United States and the language that is spoken HERE is ENGLISH!

There is a great European influence in Mexico.  American products come from Koria, Japan, China, Tailan.  Mexican products come from Spain, Italia, Germany, France, England.   Mexican schools not only teach English but also German, Italian, and  French.  Being able to speak more than one language is a great asset.   I hear little Mexican kids speaking English and Spanish and I am amazed by their knowledge.  Mexican schools have higher standards and if you flunk a class, you're not going to pass.   The Llatino population is growing with leaps and bounds and someday Latinos will be the majority.  No one can stop this from happening.  Knowing this, everyone speaking a single language should also learn a second one that would be beneficial to them.  Being Latino myself, I know that Latino's who do not speak English, are making an effort to learn the language because they know it would be beneficial to them

Wouldn't it be nice, if when you traveled to Central and South America and Spain, you could communicate with the citizens there without any problem?  I went to Paris, rented a car, and could not get out of the airport because I couldn't read the French signs.  Walking the streets in Paris, the most used words I used were......"Do you speak English?"  "Does anyone speak English?"  I felt lost.  Yeah, it would have been nice if I spoke French.  Being able to communicate is important.....in any language.

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