Thread: Latino Leadership wants local schools to provide funds

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Services sought for growing Latino population

By JAMES MCGINNIS
Bucks County Courier Times

The Latino Leadership Alliance of Bucks County met Friday with educators and social workers from Bensalem to discuss needed programs for that community's growing Latino population.

The nonprofit alliance runs after-school and summer camp programs for Latinos and seminars for recent immigrants seeking citizenship in Warminster and Bristol, both home to the largest percentage of Latinos in the county.

But Bensalem is catching up fast with those towns and the need for local services is growing, said Gladys Mendieta, who co-founded the alliance 15 years ago.

Four percent of Bensalem was Latino as of the 2000 U.S. Census. Nearly half of the 2,505 registered Latinos were Mexicans. The community was home to 739 Puerto Ricans, 99 Guatemalans and 87 Ecuadorians, Census figures show. (Those numbers do not include undocumented immigrants.)

Bensalem schools Superintendent James Lombardo attended the meeting, hoping the alliance could help to improve communications with the growing number of school parents who don't speak English.

The number of kids who primarily spoke Spanish, Russian or Indian has more than tripled — from about 80 eight years ago to 400 this school year — Lombardo estimated. In response, the district will begin a world language program next year with all students in the third grade learning Spanish.

The kids are learning. But some worry that parents aren't able to understand school report cards and district mailings. Lombardo wanted the alliance's help in reaching parents who wouldn't come out to school events, possibly due to the language or cultural barrier.

The new director of the Bensalem public library, Lisa Kern, also expressed frustration in being unable to reach out to the Latino community. Kern discussed plans to expand the libraries and foreign language books and event host an “international film festivalâ€

The number of kids who primarily spoke Spanish, Russian or Indian has more than tripled — from about 80 eight years ago to 400 this school year — Lombardo estimated. In response, the district will begin a world language program next year with all students in the third grade learning Spanish.

Excuse me, in the third grade learning Spanish? Have we lost our minds? And what about the russian and indian kids, they will also have to learn Spanish? What on earth does this really mean, a takeover, to force the Spanish language on EVERYBODY, don't we already have a language supposed to unite all of us, English?

Originally Posted by alamb

The number of kids who primarily spoke Spanish, Russian or Indian has more than tripled — from about 80 eight years ago to 400 this school year — Lombardo estimated. In response, the district will begin a world language program next year with all students in the third grade learning Spanish.

Excuse me, in the third grade learning Spanish? Have we lost our minds? And what about the russian and indian kids, they will also have to learn Spanish? What on earth does this really mean, a takeover, to force the Spanish language on EVERYBODY, don't we already have a language supposed to unite all of us, English?

EXACTLY! How about we use those funds to teach them english! Common sense right?

Why don't we just built total Spanish schools for Latino's only . Will that make them "Happy?"

Since they don't want to assimilate here, they should just go home.

Good grief. More Hispandering. ENOUGH ALREADY!! Don't offer it, and they will leave!

It just doesn't get any worse than this!!! No wonder American schools are worse than most underdeveloped countries! We ARE are third world country! I say we go back to segregation...separate the non-English speaking foreigners from the American schools...and let them fund and support their own schools! I don't want one $$$ of my taxpayer money going to support this idiocy! I am so thankful my children are adults now!

The Latino Leadership Alliance of Bucks County met Friday with educators and social workers from Bensalem to discuss needed programs for that community's growing Latino population.

For the Latino population--discrimination.

Past immigrants did it on their own and learned:
English
Civics
American history

The number of kids who primarily spoke Spanish, Russian or Indian has more than tripled — from about 80 eight years ago to 400 this school year — Lombardo estimated. In response, the district will begin a world language program next year with all students in the third grade learning Spanish.

Being bilingual is an asset.

"world language program"--world????

However, if they can teach all 3rd graders Spanish, they can certainly teach them English first.

Are they teaching Russian and Indian?

Originally Posted by tencz57

Why don't we just built total Spanish schools for Latino's only . Will that make them "Happy?"

Now that sounds like a great idea! Since Hipanics think they are TOO SPECIAL TO ASSIMILATE, let them build their own Spanish schools. They can pay for them from all OUR taxpayer funds the government keeps forking over to racist Hispanic groups like LaRaza. I am sure that American big business sponsors like Coke, Ford, and Pepsi will contribute to their fund as well. Unless that money is just used to pay Janet Murguia's salary and the other top brass there. I wonder if the IRS audits LaRaza.

There is no reason that a legal immigrant would feel unsafe the demand on the part of this group of Latinos is that the American citizens support illegal aliens with our tax money. Who says an American citizen should have any rights. If you tried to enter Mexico without papers and tried to work there without papers you would be arrested and deported. If you tried to make a political demand as anything other than a citizen in Mexico you would be arrested and deported.