At Coral Way Elementary School in Miami, FL, students are immersed in both English and Spanish. Before lunch, all of the classes are taught in Spanish, and after lunch, they switch to English. This particular decision was part of the after-affects of the Cold War, where several refugees fleeing from Fidel Castro resided in Florida. So, naturally, the school promotes Spanish just as much as English so that the children won't forget their Cuban roots. However, there are some states (such as California, Arizona, Colorado, and Massachusetts) that have banned "bi-literacy" --the term for not just speaking, but reading and writing spanish--in schools because they think it is un-American. Although this might be the opinion among those Americans, there is a vast majority arguing that, due to the increasing number of spanish-speaking immigrants, it is actually becoming invaluable to be able to know both English and Spanish. So much so that there are many companies that hire people based on their ability to speak not just english, but Spanish as well. This "melting pot" that we have come to embrace about our country is every day giving more and more reasons why bi-literacy is not just a "plus" but also expected by many businesses and, now, public schools. Is it un-American to have two national languages? I don't think so. In my opinion, everything that America stands for--life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness--can be strengthened by a bilingual population. And as Rosa de la O states: "it opens the door to the American Dream".
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Source: NPR-- Two Languages, Many Voices, "In Miami, School Aims For 'Bi-Literate' Education"
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