HispanicVista Columnists
Where do we go from here?
By Manuel Hernandez-Carmona
December 5, 2006
- The Teaching of English and Latinos in America:
- Where do we go from here?
- By Manuel Hernandez-Carmona
The teaching of English and Latinos in the United States is without a doubt interrelated to the historical, cultural, political and socio-economic relations that exist between the American Latino community and the United States of America. Abraham Lincoln’s hardest experience in life was not becoming President but enduring the hardships of a one hundred-mile journey from Knob Creek to Little Pigeon Creek, Indiana. The hardest experience for the teaching of English for Latinos has been the constant twists and turns of the educational policies that have governed it during the last one hundred plus years. Because these elements co-exist, a constructive view of the teaching of English is needed to recognize and set forth a vision, which includes four basic stages:
1. An in-depth acknowledgement of the historical, cultural, social and socio-economic reality,
2. A nation-wide public dialogue with teachers, students, administrators and parents,
3. A consolidation plan in reaction to the first two,
4. And a clear, concise and constructive view of the teaching of English for Latinos as the final stage in the ladder of success.
Of the five definitions stated for vision in Webster’s New World Dictionary, the one closest to its denotative meaning is the fourth one: “the ability to foresee something as through mental acuteness.” In plain and simple words, vision is the process, which delineates our mental framework and sets goals in motion. In a society where appearances play a role in determining who we are as a people, a vision is unequivocally needed to establish the founding principles of an educational policy that will benefit present and future Latino generations.
As a student and observer of educational empowerment, the essential element in an educational reform is a conceptual vision that will set the wheels in motion towards the attainment of goals and objectives. Recognizing the historical elements that have influenced the teaching of English is the first step to set the vision in motion. Latinos are culturally unique and distinct from all other American immigrants. Therefore, a specific plan for this incoming and growing student population is a must. Because Spanish has become “culturally popular” in entertainment sectors in America, the mother language of Latinos has become more and more of an acceptable social symbol.
As a result, a great minority has decided to hold on to that
which maintains them Latino. Unlike the first great waves of immigrants in the beginning of the 20th century that immediately dived into the melting pot, Latinos have come to America to stay Latino. That is extraordinary because it presents a non-measurable barrier to the teaching of English: a sociological phenomenon that is far beyond the reach of scholars and academics alike.
The constructive view of the teaching of English for Latinos is receptive of the current English standards of the Department of Education but refocuses strategies to adjust and meet the academic goals and expectations of the greatest minority in America. The vision is attainable, but it must be intertwined within the historical, social, cultural and socio-economic elements that paved the way for the teaching of the English language in the United States. Because Latino students have been deprived of their cultural and historical identity, there is a profound sense of loss and disinterest which psychologically reflects in the resistance of the teaching of English as a second language.
As an English teacher in the public schools in the United States and Puerto Rico for the past twenty years, I can personally testify to the daily struggles experienced in the classroom. It takes encouragement, creativity and innovative ideas to provoke students to answer “What’s your name?” and “Where do you live?” I will never forget Laura Rivera (fictional name but true event). She had lived in New York City for twenty-three years and was a syndicated construction worker, but she failed to get pass English as a second language level one courses at the Adult School where I taught; she owned a house and lived in a middle-class neighborhood in the “city that never sleeps”. For her, English was simply not necessary. She had reached the so-called historical American Dream without it.
History is like a revolving door. At the middle of the 20th century, Latinos united to pursue common goals and interests. Social, political, cultural and educational organizations were created to empower the Latino people to set forth a vision to benefit the people. Intellectuals and politicians buried petty differences and created a new educational reform (The Bilingual Act), but that is part of the past now. Forty years later, Latinos find themselves at a crossroads. Bilingual programs have dismantled, and a new educational strategy has still yet to surface. But this time around, the results of the educational mishaps are bluntly stated in charts, statistics and numbers. We read them, see them and many times look the other way. A vision demands human attention and more so, divines intervention, which translates into one word: love.
A constructive view receives ideas but reaches consensus,
- establishes priorities, creates programs, designs pertinent proposals and demands accountability. Decisions must be reached, delivered and implemented. It is not a monumental task, but it will take a monumental effort. The English academic standards need to be enhanced with vision and knowledge on how to identify, tackle and improve our children’s interest in English, Spanish and in all subject areas. It is time to design a vision that will meet the expectations of all those involved in the educational community. There are just too many Latino children without the proper academic attention. Where do we go from here?
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- (Manuel Hernandez is a high school English teacher in Fajardo, Puerto Rico and the author of the textbook, Latino/a Literature in The English Classroom, Editorial Plaza Mayor 2003) Contact at: mannyh32@hotmail.com
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About the author: Hernandez-Carmona lives in Naguabo, Puerto Rico and enjoys spending his free time with his beautiful wife, Maria and his seventeen-year old son, Jose Manuel and his newborn son, Josue Esteban. He is a disciple at Abundant Life Church in Fajardo. Also visit: http://www.puertoricans.com/
(Editor's note: Manuel Hernandez-Carmona created a Yahoogroup for the discussion of literature and education. HispanicVista highly recommends this effort and urges its readers to join and participate. Write to Manuel at: mannyh32@yahoo.com or visit and join at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/latinoliterature