Thread: Immigrants fearful English classes could be cut

Immigrants fearful English classes could be cut

States across the country are slashing budgets for adult literacy classes

updated 18 minutes ago

NEW YORK - Farzana Morshed arrived from Bangladesh three years ago without any real grasp of English. Her husband had to help her open a bank account, an interpreter was necessary when she needed medical care and she couldn't go anywhere by herself for fear of getting lost.

Morshed soon got the language lessons she needed through her local library and a community-based nonprofit organization, and her English is good enough that she can work as an interpreter at a hospital.

But other immigrants around the country are worried that they won't have the same chance as Morshed because states are slashing budgets for adult literacy classes — an important lifeline in immigrant communities.

The New York state budget proposed by Gov. David Paterson would cut three programs that contain an English education component. The proposed budget takes funding for the three programs from nearly $13 million down to $8.6 million, a cut of about 33 percent.

Cuts in adult literacy programs
At the city level, Mayor Michael Bloomberg's budget proposal doesn't include two City Council streams of funding that support teaching English, said Anthony Ng, deputy director of policy and advocacy at United Neighborhood Houses. Those programs currently receive almost $7 million.

It's an issue in other parts of the country as well, said Margie McHugh, co-director of the National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy at the Migration Policy Institute. She said there is great concern in several states that budget shortfalls will cause cutbacks in adult literacy programs, noting that it already has happened in California.

Immigrants in New York hope the money will be restored by the time the state and city budgets are finalized. The city programs also were not included in Bloomberg's proposals in previous years, but they were added in during the budget process, Ng said, although not at the funding levels advocates hoped to see.

At a rally Wednesday at a park in the Jackson Heights section of Queens, immigrants spoke out against the funding cuts and carried signs reading "Rebuild, Invest in Adult Literacy" and "More Education for Parents, Better Future for Children."

Among them was Gustavo Medina, 72, wearing a top hat his granddaughter made for him that said "We Want To Learn."

The Colombian immigrant has been taking English classes for the past year, and hopes enough funding will be there for another year. He works cleaning restaurants at John F. Kennedy International Airport and learning English would help him find a better job with a better income.

And that, he said, would be good for the country, since a higher income would have him pay more in taxes. "If I learn English, more money for Uncle Sam," he said.

Resources outstripped by demand
Advocates say the resources for teaching English to immigrants already are vastly outstripped by demand. At the Shorefront YM-YWHA of Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, several hundred students are taking English classes at any given time and easily that many more are on a waiting list.

Susan Fox, executive director of Shorefront, said immigrants are eager to learn English, recognizing how vital it is not only for economic advancement but to be fully engaged in life in the United States.

"Every cut in the adult literacy world will mean fewer people helped," she said.

In California, those cuts are a reality. Adult education there is run through two systems, community colleges and programs administered by school districts, said Matthew Smith, president of the California Council of Adult Education.

The recently approved state budget cut funds for adult education run by school districts by 15 percent and an additional 5 percent cut is coming, he said. Also, whatever funds districts do receive can be used at their discretion, so they could decide to use the money to plug holes in their K-12 programs and not fund adult programs at all, Smith said.

"It is that bad here," he said.

Classes important during recession
Immigrants and advocates say the need for language classes is especially important during an economic downturn. Like everyone else, immigrants are trying to improve their skills to remain competitive in the job market.

"At a time when immigrant communities are going to need these services the most, they're lessening," said Deycy Avitia, coordinator of education advocacy for the New York Immigration Coalition.

Avitia hopes federal stimulus money coming to the state will make a difference, and said advocates would be pushing to make sure immigrant communities were not ignored when decisions are made on how to spend those funds.

For Morshed, her newfound knowledge of English has changed her life. The first time she translated for a patient at her hospital, "I was feeling like 'Oh wow, my world is so big now,'" she said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29825061/

No Hablo En~glise

No Hablo Dollar

No Hablo Peso

it's time to go home

I belive that ENGLISH is the only language that should be offical in the USA sooo I guess OK to Teach it.

Adult education programs of all kinds I belive in.... BETTER than a bonus for some FAT CEO.

The man applying for a job says "No Habla English"

The Hr director says "No habba job"

This is America and it should be that simple.

GOOD POINT

BUT you cant have ENGLISH as the only offical language if you let legal immigraton happen without english classes


soo again LEGAL ENGLISH and adult education

Cordopolitan wrote:

BUT you cant have ENGLISH as the only offical language if you let legal immigraton happen without english classes

We are trying to NOT let so much "immigration" happen at all. Especially making illegal aliens become "immigrants" with amnesty. Are you opposed to amnesty?

I had to pay my own way through language classes in college, and what is wrong with buying a Berlitz book for a few bucks if you need to learn English? In my travels in the 1970s I used them continually, especially those few days I spent in France, not having a French lesson in my life. Many folks were very happy I was making an effort in their language. There are too many American citizens that fall into the illiterate category, and any free language lessons should concentrate on them first and foremost, immigrants should be charged a bit and illegals should be totally denied when taxpayer dollars are spent on language lessons.

Originally Posted by cordopolitin

I belive that ENGLISH is the only language that should be offical in the USA sooo I guess OK to Teach it.

We have no reason to teach it on a big scale!
We already know English!
Yes Illiteracy Programs are fine for older Americans to learn to read but we have
no obligations to people who came here illegally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is it that hard to comprehend ILLEGAL?
People that immigrate here legally have to know English before they get citizenship, so what's the problem?
They want it for FREE is the problem.... Hear that sucking sound?
I'm just about ready to go rabid!

Originally Posted by builditnow

Cordopolitan wrote:

BUT you cant have ENGLISH as the only offical language if you let legal immigraton happen without english classes

We are trying to NOT let so much "immigration" happen at all. Especially making illegal aliens become "immigrants" with amnesty. Are you opposed to amnesty?

I think English is his second language ....

I might be concerned if it wasn't for the fact it's been offered for free in schools, libraries, churches and such....but it's been shunned....now I DON"T CARE!!!!!!!!!!!