Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h7TDKL727881; Fri, 29 Aug 2003 09:20:21 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 09:20:21 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <3F4F51B1.9090800@georgetown.edu> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Albert Wat <ayw@georgetown.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9307] Re: Accept English Only donation? X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Status: O Content-Length: 4634 Lines: 160 Funny... in Washington DC, there are always wait lists of immigrants who are dying to learn English. If anything, I think this country's policies may deter people from learning English not by providing services in people's first language, but by putting the fear of God into immigrants who don't have papers. And by the way, what's wrong with the government providing services in people's first language? If people can't access the basic necessities in their everyday lives, how do you expect them to find work and support their family? And then we blame them for leeching off the system (when we're not blaming them for taking our jobs away)! I'd like to see some of us survive in places where no one speaks any languages that we know... not as vacationers, but as immigrants trying to make a living. We'll probably complain why no one knows any English in that backwards country! -- Albert Wat, Program Director DC Schools Project Office of Volunteer & Public Service - Center for Social Justice Georgetown University, Poulton Hall 1421 37th St., NW, 1st Floor Washington, DC 20057 Tel: (202)687-8868 Fax: (202)687-8980 https://data.georgetown.edu/outreach/csj/service/programs/dcsp/ ttweeton wrote: > Welcome to America. > > >>Do what u like. >>We'll give u tax dollar. >> >>Xenophillically >> >> > >Joe you are so funny.! I am in agreement with what you say. The issue of >Bilingual programs ( or not) IS a problem for the children, but a most >irritating situation is the immigrant (parents of those children??) who >comes here and decides that it is not necessary to learn English( or ver y >little of it ) because he/she can get along pretty well (particularly in >Miami ) without it! AND finds all kinds of government help in his/her native >language just as you stated ( so why learn English if you don't have to!!!!) >If you are from Miami you know this but when you call govt. offices here, >the first language spoken when answering the phone is Spanish. I >personally speak Spanish AND French AND Italian etc...., no problem, >BUT...... how presumptious of these people to think that I will >automatically understand what they are saying!!!! In this case, with these >govt agencies English MUST and should be spoken , AND come first! I ,as >a taxpayer, pay their salaries and have a right to expect that I will be >helped in "correctly and clearly spoken "English FIRST. To speak in Spanish >first , only intimidates me, as Mrs Consumer. I also have rights as a >consumer . How can they possibly know who is at the other end of the line?? > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Joe Little" < >To: "Multiple recipients of list" < >Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2003 5:48 PM >Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9300] Re: Accept English Only donation? > > > > >>> One suggestion would be for students to investigate the group (as an >>> exercise). Financials should be public, as are mission statements, >>> >>> >etc. > > >>> See what percentage of their budget goes for ESL. There is no paucity >>> >>> >of > > >>> newspaper articles at relatively easy reading levels that go into an >>> >>> >array > > >>> of issues and cases associated with English Only. Some go into >>> >>> >employees > > >>> suing employers for their right to speak their native language on the >>> >>> >job; others > > >>> tell the exact opposite. And of course, English Only's strong >>> >>> >connection to > > >>> right wing, anti-immigrant forces are well documented and easy to >>> >>> >understand. > > >>Laurie, Cathy, and all, >> >>I love the idea of investigating the financial statement and mission >> >> >statement of the English Only organization. That's clear,factual stuff. >Many folks-- present company excluded, hopefully -- would stear clear of >that, opting instead for liberal-rant, leftist- > > >>rave articles from our libero-centric friends in the media. >> >> >> >>> That the group approached you with the unabashed intention to use their >>> donation as a PR stint to push "their" political agenda reminds me of a >>> slogan on a t-shirt complete w/caps and exclamation points I saw just >>> >>> >last > > >>> weekend in NJ: "Welcome to America. Now SPEAK ENGLISH!!!!!" As ESL >>> professionals, we know that the bottom line is xenophobia. >>> >>> >>Bottom line of what? That slogan? Produced by whom? Probably the vast >> >> >left-wing conspiracy...but seriously, the t-shirt u saw reminds me of a >haiku i read not three > > >>hours ago: >> >>, >> >>sincerely, >> >>Joe >> >> >> > > >
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