Thread: No Bilingual Commencements In New Orleans Please

No Bilingual Commencements In New Orleans Please

New Orleans Agenda, News release, Vincent Sylvain, Posted: Jul 06, 2008

New Orleans, LA-On May 19, two co-valedictorians from Ellender High School honored their parents for their sacrifices by incorporating their native Vietnamese language into parts of their commencement speech. They then translated those brief words into English for the general audience.

In response, the Terrebonne Parish school board is currently considering a policy, primarily sponsored by Rickie Pitre, to require that all future commencement speeches be in English only. The fact that these top students at Ellender High School speak fluently in two languages is a tribute to both their families and to an educational system that has not, until now, compelled them to sacrifice their culture and heritage for the sake of their education.

The Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association of New Orleans (VAYLA-NO) is deeply concerned that if passed, this policy would infringe upon the rights of students to express themselves in their native language and devalue multiculturalism in education. Furthermore, VAYLA-NO questions whether this policy would have been proposed if the language in question had been Latin, Italian, or French rather than Vietnamese.

The proposed policy will affect not only the Vietnamese American community in the Terrebonne Parish, but threatens all multilingual communities in this Gulf Coast region.

Having come from refugee families, many Vietnamese American students have overcome countless life obstacles to become successful proud Americans. Many students attribute their hard work and successes to the struggles and sacrifices that they witness their parents endure as refugees fleeing a war torn country during the Viet Nam War and as first generation immigrant Americans. The ability for students to communicate their appreciation to their parents in a way which can be best understood is a right of all students.

Minh Nguyen, Executive Director of VAYLA-NO states, "This proposal is a grave act of injustice to all who embrace the diverse communities in which they are a part of. It is blatantly discriminatory and infringes on core American values of the freedom of speech. We should instead celebrate the fact that the success of these students are rooted in their culture and their ability to communicate in a second language."

The Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association of New Orleans (VAYLA-NO) is a youth-led community-based, youth organizing and development organization in New Orleans dedicated to the empowerment of Vietnamese Americans and underrepresented youth through services, cultural enrichment, and social change.

www.vayla-no.org

http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/vi ... 767fe81286

English only proves the school in that area has done their job well in educating the students.

Don't even play this bi-lingual game with me. What's the difference if I say FU N....in Spanish, French, Russian or any other language when the meaning is still the same? Just because you make a racist statement in another language, doesn't make it not racist or any less harmful. Hey... (whatever)....I'm gonna kill you tonite and blow up the capitol.....is it any less a threat just because it's in a foreign language? No....it's not. Reminds of the tree falling in the woods.....if there's no-one there to hear it, did it fall? DUGH?

I've been waiting for this to happen and wondered what took so long!

Furthermore, VAYLA-NO questions whether this policy would have been proposed if the language in question had been Latin, Italian, or French rather than Vietnamese.

None of the above, but special exceptions are made for SPANISH only. VAYLA-NO has a valid point.

Watch out here comes the aclu.

We have a lot of big mouthed terriorists, arrogent men and sick people making vile statements and threats and hiding behind their language as an excuse.

If it were me.....I'd make speaking ANY foreign language here a CRIME. Want extreemism? Fine.....I can go there.

You shouldn't be graduating from our schools if you don't speak English...and sorry.....the families should just sit in proud silence that they gave their child this chance and give them the incentive to do the same.

You are in America now......learn the difference.

Originally Posted by crazybird

We have a lot of big mouthed terriorists, arrogent men and sick people making vile statements and threats and hiding behind their language as an excuse.

If it were me.....I'd make speaking ANY foreign language here a CRIME. Want extreemism? Fine.....I can go there.

I'll go with you

America = English....how difficult is that to understand!!!!!!!!!??????