It looks like Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is getting advice from the “Usual Suspects.” According to Yvette Cabrera, of the O.C. Register, when he was asked “what could be done to improve the academic performance of Latino students,” his response was, “You’ve got to turn off the Spanish television set. It’s that simple. You’ve got to learn English. I know that when I came to this country I did not or very rarely spoke German to anyone.”
Cabrera’s response to Schwarzenegger’s comments was, “Of course, immigrants should learn to speak English. Who can argue with that? The problem I had with the governor’s comment is that it didn’t indicate any understanding of the realities facing immigrant parents.”
Cabrera also sought feedback from a Santa Ana resident, “In the eyes of Santa Ana resident Victoria Zaragoza, the governor was simply dodging the real issues, such as the need to teach immigrant parents to navigate the school system.”
“One program that Zaragoza has found has made a tremendous difference in Santa Ana is the statewide and state-funded Community-Based English Tutoring, or CBET, program. The program offers free English classes and tutoring skills to adults with limited English proficiency so they can help their children succeed in school.
“They want to be good role models for their children, they want to be able to engage in their child’s academic achievement so the more they understand the process the better it is for them,” says Zaragoza, who has three grandchildren and one foster child, an English-learner, in SAUSD schools.”
“Though there is not yet any hard data, Santa Ana Unified’s CBET program specialist, Ana Landrian, says that anecdotal evidence shows that students of CBET parents are entering the school system more prepared than their counterparts whose parents aren’t attending any type of English classes. They also have better attendance rates.
“It’s really impacting the students” says Landrian.
The district’s CBET program began with 1,000 adults in 1999, but Zaragoza says she’s seen interest in the classes double. Today, the district serves 5,000 adults at 29 elementary and middle schools plus four community sites, and hopes to expand to more sites.”
And Assemblyman Jose Solorio finally did something right:
“Ironically, just as the governor was making his comments about pulling the plug on Spanish-language TV sets, the state’s Senate budget committee was suggesting slashing funding for CBET from $50 million to $15.1 million. Legislators like Solorio feared Schwarzenegger would back this move, despite the governor’s original budget proposal to fund the full $50 million for the program.
Solorio not only sent Schwarzenegger a letter asking him to honor his original commitment, he sent e-mail blasts to his constituents encouraging them to call and write to the governor. Solorio says that he too was concerned with Schwarzenegger’s statement at the NAHJ conference last month.”
And Zaragoza got the last word, “I would point my finger at him and say shame on you. He should visit the areas that have these problems before he makes those types of comments.”
I don’t have a problem with what Schwartznegger said. He’s absolutely right. The key to educational advancement for anyone in California, or in America for that matter, is being able to communicate in English.
We see this message in our grade schools, the adult education/junior college system, from local chamber of commerce, etc. There are numerous commercials on the spanish media channels touting products that do exactly that; teach English for survival.
With a majority of kids in depressed communities in Santa Ana for instance, we see that English acquisition is a stumbling block to their future. If they can’t graduate high school, how will they ever earn enough to take care of themselves?
There is nothing at all wrong with what the governator said, it just didn’t satisfy Cabrera’s personal political agenda.
One of Jose Solorio’s most significant messages during his campaign was that communicating in English is important for educational and economic growth.
Solorio understood it then and supports it now. He gets it.
I, too, have no problem with the Governor’s response. While it’s simplistic, it’s a fairly accurate assessment of the situation. And he speaks from his own experience learning English.
The Governor is Absolutely right on this. If you want to be more then a janitor, housecleaner, or work at a taco stand you need to learn english. The best way is to be fully immersed. There are PLENTY of ESL adult education classes offered, at low to no cost, to the parents…they choose not to take advantage of them becasue they choose not to learn english. At least we can teach their kids to be successful, where they fail.
Art, take your racist, Anti-American rhetoric AND Yevette Cabrona, and move to Mexico – where I’m sure you will be hailed as “king and queen.” (LOL)
The Gov. might suck on everything else he’s doing, but he’s right on with the need to learn English ASAP. That’s just common sense for anybody desiring to live as an illegal alien in a different country. As for quoting Zargoza, gee now there’s “just anybody off the street…” She’s been part of the problem for a lonnnngggg time. Mexican parents don’t need coddled; they need a boot in their lazy butts to turn off the TV and participate in some brain activity that will help change the destiny of their families. But Noooo, Art wants California to become one big Tijuana – a filthy, poor, ignorant cess pool with people waiting for the government to do for them what they should be doing for themselves.
Shame on all of you self-proclaimed spokesmen for the Hispanic population. You want nothing more than to keep them down and portion things out to them so you can hear them say how great you are for “helping” them.
“You’ve got to turn off the Spanish television set. It’s that simple. You’ve got to learn English. I know that when I came to this country I did not or very rarely spoke German to anyone.”…. said Arnold.
The Governors statement is not only about the English language. Since I am emerged in Hispanic culture the CHs 34 and 54 are constantly on. Every time I pass by the TV I can see the biggest crapola entertainment there is.
The Hispanic TV is design for primitive people to keep them primitive and happy.
#8
I can pass my TV, anytime of the day, and find plenty of good old American crapola on the television.
Hollywood land invented that crap and has elevated it to an art that’s been imitated world-wide.
Even if all the Hispanic immigrants learned English, you’d still find something to bear your teeth into and lash out at them.
Degrading housekeepers and janitors clearly punctuates your ignorance and arrogance. It’s honest work and there’s nothing wrong with honest work.
well said Anon #7.
I would support free Engish classes for Spanish speakers and free Spanish classes for English speakers so we can all learn to communicate with each other better.
“It’s honest work and there’s nothing wrong with honest work.”
#7
There is no honest work performed if a worker (Hispanic immigrant) is using stolen identity of someone else.
Poster 1,
Of course I support learning English. I entered Kindergarten with very little knowledge of English – my Mom and I learned it at the same time. By second grade I was winning spelling bees.
So yes, it can be done. But I thought that Schwarzenegger’s comments were typically insensitive.
Many immigrants work horrible jobs with long hours and little pay. They arrive at home very late and are too tired to go to night school. Clearly they need help – but they cannot learn English as quickly as some would like. It is that much harder for adults to learn a second language.
BTW, I am very well paid today in part because I am fluent in two languages…
While no one can deny that the housekeeper, janitor, gardener and car wash attendant are a necessary and integral part of our society, we urge our students to earn English because we all know that is the ticket to success. Otherwise, they will have no alternative but to follow in their parents’ footsteps and become a housekeeper, janitor, gardener or car wash attendant.
As Dr. Mijares used to say when he spoke to our students: “I don’t want you flipping burgers at MacDonalds. I want you to own MacDonalds.”
BTW, it would behoove all of us to turn off the TV a litle more often regardless of the language spoken.
Since when is Zaragoza, a long term resident of Minnie Street and an employee of Santa Ana Unified, an expert? Not in my book.
I’m chief among the Governors critics. I think is immensely under qualified for his position.
Having said that, he’s right Children of Spanish speaking parents need to learn english.
My own children are proof of this.
All that aside, it’s pretty hard to take this millionaire movie star’s advice. Come on, he has little command of the language himself.
I defy ANYONE to argue his proficency with me.
To heck with the language thing, those chicks selling cars are what attracts this old geezer —-
#13
Zaragoza peddles Russo’s agenda because it serves her interest.
Zaragoza is only concerned about her grandkids school; her children do not attend SAUSD schools.
Zaragoza is not an advocate for ALL SAUSD students. If she were, she’d be holding the BoE accountable for failing to meet its graduation standard last year.
Zaragoza has chosen to remain quiet on the high school exit exam because her pal, Audrey Noji’s agenda is to allow those who do not pass the exam to walk with their graduating class.
Zaragoza + Noji = Disingenious.