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Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2003 15:46:42 -0400 (EDT)
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From: "Ken Taber" <kentaber@inetgenesis.com>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9386] Re: Accept English Only donation?
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Joe et al,
I will give you some of my experiences but it would take a book to write
my complete story. I was a teacher for 10 years in Hollywood, Florida and
had lived in South Florida all my life. In Miami, I was there when
English-Only laws were being discussed. It's hard to remember exact words or
even the faces of the people that said them. All I remember are the
feelings. These feelings will last a lifetime. Since I looked white but had
a rich Latino heritage, many whites would spout their rhetoric of hate. A
common saying was "The last American to leave Miami, Please take the flag."
That was said as a joke and was mild to the expletives that I cannot write.
These experiences were before the English-Only Movement but the
anti-immigrant climate led to attempts at English-Only laws.
The English-Only sentiment entered into the classroom arena in many
states in the 80's which was one of many points that led civil rights groups
to file a lawsuit against the states of Florida, Texas, and California.
Their claim did not go the Supreme Court and was settled out of court. As a
Florida educator, we must follow this META agreement or risk another major
lawsuit. If you research the English-Only Group's full agenda you will find
out that they oppose any form of bilingual education.
After 9/11, my wife wanted to move away from South Florida to where my
niece lived in South Carolina. Their was an ESOL position open that I felt I
would be well suited for me. I soon found that this area of the country did
not welcome Mexicans although it was the city's local packing plant that
started bringing them over the border for slave wages. The Mexicans work
hard for low wages, have strong family values, little government aid and are
treated worse than Blacks in this part of the South. The South Carolina
Department of Education has English-Only laws with the only exception being
the teaching of a foreign language. I was reprimanded for speaking Spanish
to a newcomer. Since I did not have sonority, I was targeted. I did not get
my teaching contract renewed for this year and have filed an OCR complaint
for how they treat their LEP students as well as for retaliation for my
termination of employment. I am currently unemployed and will probably be
homeless in 3 months if I don't find a job. My 6 month old case is being
investigated by the Atlanta office but the district is being slow in
providing the information to support my claim in an extensive fact finding
investigation.
So when I say I have felt the hatred behind the words, I am not making
this up. "English-Only Laws anywhere in this country are a threat to
Bilingual Education everywhere!"
Friends for Life,
Ken Taber
kentaber@inetgenesis.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Little" <fyi@americanliteracy.com>
To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2003 1:23 AM
Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9380] Re: Accept English Only donation?
> > I apologize for superimposing my fears into this subject but they are
real
> > fears. For those that have experienced the extreme side of the
English-Only
> > Movement and have felt the hatred behind the words, those fears are
real.
>
> Ken & all,
>
> I accept your apology (tho i always feel like i should, in turn, apologize
when i accept someone's apology). I'm serious as a heart-attack:email me or
the whole listserv with regard to your experience of the extreme side of the
english-only movement and your reception of hatred behind the words...no
joke. Whenever i hear of such things i tend
> to roll my eyes and chalk it up to fourth hand knowledge, but if u're man
enuff to apologize i'm man enuff to hear of such first hand grief.
>
> Friends for life,
>
> Joe
>
>
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