Thread: Migrant report criticizes Texas

Migrant report criticizes Texas

State lags in teaching newcomers English, researchers say

While Texas may be a top destination for immigrants, it spends very little to assimilate them via English-language education, says a report released Tuesday.

Florida and California spend $8 and $7 for every federal dollar they receive, while Texas spends 30 cents, says the report by the Migration Policy Institute of Washington, D.C.

The study's authors call English acquisition "arguably the most important integration challenge and opportunity" for city, state and federal governments with large immigrant populations. In North Texas, that is particularly true. One out of four people in Dallas is foreign-born; in Irving, one out of three is foreign-born.

"Texas stands out for being a state for such large immigration and such low investment in immigrants," said Margie McHugh, one of the report's authors at the research organization. "Investing in immigrants' education has such a powerful payoff," the researcher said, ticking off such benefits as job productivity and increased pay.

Lori Ruiz, the policy coordinator for Texas Learns, the subcontractor for state adult education and family literacy, said the state program is "grossly underfunded, ridiculously underfunded."

In the last 20 years, when immigrants, legal and illegal, have swept through the state, funding has remained level, she noted.

Ms. Ruiz had no dispute with the California-to-Texas comparisons within the Migration Policy Institute report.

The report said more funding could come from three sources: employers, existing Social Security taxes, and the expansion of such federal programs as the family literacy-focused Even Start.

"Employers stand to gain the most from immigrants improving their English language skills," Ms. McHugh said. "Many are asking what is an appropriate contribution from employers."

In Dallas, restaurateur Tom Landis said he believes employers should shoulder the burden for workers. He provides English classes for workers.

"If it were an accounting issue, you would never turn it over to the government," Mr. Landis said.

The Migration Policy Institute proposes that funding for English classes come from Social Security taxes believed to be paid by illegal immigrants. For years, the Social Security Administration has kept track of wages that come from false or mismatched Social Security numbers.

Nearly $600 billion in wages were recorded from 1937 through 2004 on these numbers, the report notes. And, in general, about 6.2 percent in Social Security tax was paid on the wages. The Migration Policy Institute estimates that there is about $30 billion in Social Security contributions from illegal immigrants flowing into federal coffers.

In North Texas, scores of churches provide English classes. Among them is the Duncanville Trinity Church of the Nazarene, which opens its doors on Tuesday nights to immigrants. "We just want to help the cause and help the people learn our language," said Jim Farmer, a church layman. "Well, it is not our language. It belongs to the world

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 38294.html

State lags in teaching newcomers English, researchers say

Too bad galahad! Not our job. If they want to be here they can pay to learn the language. We are not their baby sitters.

If the U.S. required illegal aliens to be able to speak American English,
or even required legal aliens to be able to speak English,
maybe that would shame alienated natives into speaking intelligible English too.

Why are illegal aliens so determined to make it so obvious that they are here illegally?

"No, no hablo inglés. ¡Soy un extranjero ilegal!"

"Investing in immigrants' education has such a powerful payoff," the researcher said, ticking off such benefits as job productivity and increased pay.

Ahhhh...last time I checked, we (American Taxpayers) were investing in their education. Bi-ligual education programs, in Texas a new "newcommers" school soley for immigrants, not to mention all the bending over backwards to make them feel welcome. But, hell, they don't want to learn. Just go to any school and wait until they change classes!! So much for learning and communicating in English in our schools.