http://ocregister.com/ocregister/opi...le_1099379.php


Thursday, April 13, 2006
Why not try American immersion?
Immigrant students aren't encouraged to identify with their new country

By AARON HANSCOM


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aaron Hanscom is a freelance writer who has taught for the Los Angeles Unified School District since 2001


The red, white and green were hard to miss at recent immigration-rights protests in downtown Los Angeles. That's because most of the Mexican students who walked out of class to attend the rallies were carrying Mexican flags. The pride these marchers expressed for a country they probably wouldn't like to live in contrasted sharply with the difficulty they have in forming a true American identity.

Some of us weren't surprised. As a substitute teacher for grades K-5 in largely Hispanic schools, I see the challenges of assimilation daily.

One question I always try to ask students is: "What country do you live in?" It is extremely rare for them to answer correctly the first time.

"California" and "Los Angeles" are the most common responses. Not until I direct their attention to the American flag in the corner of the room, and remind them of the Pledge of Allegiance they recited earlier in the day, are they finally able to make the connection. "Oh, so that's why we say that every morning," is the thought I'm sure goes through their most of their minds.

The sad fact is that Mexican students are often taught that they are Mexicans before they are Americans. While it is admirable to foster cultural pride, we are doing students no favors by failing to instill in them an abiding love and deep respect for America.

Imagine for a moment students in Mexico being told to come to school on July 4th wearing red, white and blue clothing. The fact that this absurd scenario would never transpire doesn't mean Mexico is anti-American. So why do Americans feel the need to bend over backward to prove that they aren't racist and anti-Mexican?

Elementary school students in the Los Angeles Unified School District, for example, are told to wear red, white and green on both Sept. 16 for Mexican Independence Day and May 5 for Cinco de Mayo. Parents are reminded of these events with letters in Spanish.

Meanwhile, the Oceanside Unified School District has banned red, white and blue. It seems that patriotic clothing and American flags are just too inflammatory.

If that's confusing to you, imagine what it must be like to an 8-year-old child. Since a lot of students don't even know the name of the country their parents and grandparents sought refuge in, it is clear they are not simultaneously learning about the opportunities and freedoms that America affords them.

Most Americans are concerned about this deficiency. Here's how Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal describes the mood of the nation: "It's the broad public knowledge, or intuition, in America, that we are not assimilating our immigrants patriotically. And if you don't do that, you'll lose it all."

We've learned that English immersion works in language development. I've seen many students who, having recently arrived from Mexico, speak nary a word of English. A couple years later they are fluent in their second language. While they haven't forgotten how to speak Spanish, they are much better prepared for a successful life in America.

Why not try American immersion? Feeling a little love for America doesn't require erasing one's Mexican culture. Let's teach students patriotic songs like "God Bless America" and "America the Beautiful." Let's make sure they are clear that George Washington is not the current president. Let's have them learn to name all 50 states.

I've done my best in that last regard. After my students are all made aware of the fact that they in fact live in the United States of America, I ask them to name one of the states in the union. "Mexico" invariably comes up immediately. With this in mind, it is interesting to note that the historian Victor Davis Hanson wrote a book in 2003 titled "Mexifornia: A State of Becoming." Sometimes, I can't help but think it is already here.