Thread: 25 mil. needed to teach English

More help urged for immigrants
$25 mil. needed to teach English, study says

December 14, 2006
BY ESTHER J. CEPEDA Staff Reporter
Illinois would boost its economy and lead the nation if it rolled out the red carpet to the state's estimated 1.75 million foreign-born residents and their 1.5 million U.S.-born children, according to a study released Wednesday.
The state's New Americans Advocacy and Policy Office and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights found that immigrant workers drive Illinois' labor force growth in both low- and high-skilled jobs.


'Immigrants are an asset'
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The New Americans Policy Council, a group of academic, religious and business leaders, and the New Americans Interagency Task Force, including representatives from 13 state agencies, presented the Blagojevich administration with recommendations for integrating immigrants into Illinois' economic and social life.
The recommendations include immigrant and refugee welcoming centers to serve as clearinghouses for services; assistance to educated and skilled immigrants to help them to practice their vocations, and training designed to help low-skilled immigrants advance in such industries such as restaurant/hospitality and health care.
The authors of the study -- a collection of immigrant rights groups, academic scholars and state social service departments -- say immigrants make up 12.6 percent of the state's population but represent 17 percent of the state's total workers and more than 27 percent of workers with doctoral degrees.
"Immigrants are an asset in a rapidly changing economy," said Joshua Hoyt, executive director of the coalition. "We can either invest in it or let it be and hope for the best."

The report lists statewide policy changes that could help immigrants integrate.

The authors, who presented their findings to the Blagojevich administration Wednesday, called on the governor to set aside $25 million for English language education services.

Grace Hou, assistant secretary of the Department of Human Services, said English classes could benefit illegal immigrants as much as legal ones, but most state programs are open only to legal immigrants.

"But only about a quarter of the 1.7 million immigrants in Illinois reside here illegally," Hoyt said.

ecepeda@suntimes.com

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1726 ... 14.article

Whats that saying? Who is the fool, the one who says it, or the one who believes it???

What angers me is there are managers of restaurants etc who have had their employees enrolled in FREE English classes and they just won't go. This state is so far in debt it's not funny. I think they figured 9,000 per person (man, woman and child) to get it to just break even and now they want this? 1/2 the legal citizens don't know where to go and what services are available........

Josh Hoyt is a "professional" do-gooder, speaks Spanish very well and is in cahoots with Blablabovic in generating more "Democrats" which he calls "new citizens".... taxpayer money going to Demokat solicitation...
First it was $3 million for the "New Americans" project; without anyone objecting, they upped it to $25Million....

I smell third-world style corruption....or am I missing something here?

It's such a joy when the paper prints crap like that. These advocacy groups, non-profit I might add, submit "reliable data" and publish it. Time and time again, they are flawed and slanted reports. I wouldn't believe anything that group published. They just can't produce good numbers and data because they are biased.

Dixie

This is a reply I used in another discussion (Will Elvira's Protests Impact Immigration Policy?) but fits well here too.

If our bonehead congressman, Representative Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) gets his way, she will be set free with monetary compensation for this inconvenience she just endured. Also the other bonehead, Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) has already tried to get things passed to get her to stay. She is in both of these boneheads’ districts. Lets see what happens after the 1st of year, when the Democrats take control. YA RIGHT!! Even if we can get other Senators attention (Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)) and off his book signing tour, he most likely won’t help us either. I guess he is too busy lining up the Hispanic vote for his race to the White House. Also, one of our local county commissioners (Roberto Maldonado (D)) introduced and got passed a sanctuary ordinance. So she is in a sanctuary county. These happen to be my government official as well. And I live in the most corrupt county, in the most corrupt state in this country. Now you know why I call myself “MadinChicago”.

For what it’s worth, I have written Emanuel and Durbin a number of times, but theirs replies are always the same; “We will do what is best for our community and pass comprehensive immigration”. Meaning: Tough I am letting my people in (Rahm Emanuel).

If Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney really means it when he said, “If elected President in 2008, I will round up and deport all 11 million illegal aliens”, then he will get my vote. I don’t care what Party he is with. (Lets call it the Right for America Party).

Also, if “Illinois would boost its economy…” as noted above, I just want to ask if that is after the over 20 billion of dollars are drained from the US economy each year that get sent home to Mexico? For Illinois the number is 2.7 billion dollars per year that leave Illinois and go directly to Mexican and boost their economy.