making English the second language . . .
Article from Mike Gonzalez writing at the Heritage Foundation’s Daily Signal
Another day, another corrosive mandate. This is notable only because it reminds once more of the Maoist approach to governance so preferred by our own “Great Helmsman”.
Mao mandated that Mandarin must be the official language of communist China. Mao, however, did not speak Mandarin!
Why then did he dictate this? Because, like Obama, he could!
So, while Mao dictated a language regime, for his one-China purposes, regardless of longstanding preexisting cultural history, Obama, tries to dictate a multiplicity of languages to destroy our longstanding preexisting cultural history.
Obama Administration Looks to Cement Ethnic Divides With Language Mandate
(excerpts)
Its latest policy statement, issued jointly late last week by the departments of Education and Health and Human Services, advises states to instruct early childhood students in home languages different from English, and to help them retain separate cultural attachments.
The administration warns that “not recognizing children’s cultures and languages as assets” may be hurting them with school work. “Over half the world’s population is estimated to be bilingual or multilingual,” the statement lectures almost plaintively.
The answer is to celebrate and preserve the differences of dual language learners, or children who speak a different language at home.
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(snip)
In a Heritage Foundation issue brief published this week, I argue that policy statements of this sort raise generalized concerns because they may be deemed coercive and intrusive into areas of primary state and local jurisdiction.
The administration has no authority under the federal statutes governing education, such as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the implementing regulations, to require bilingual education or retention of “cultural assets.”
But the problems with this policy approach are much more fundamental. Speaking a second, third, or more foreign languages is indubitably a bonus for an individual, but it is far less clear that societal bilingualism or multilingualism helps cohesion or economic success.
The administration disregards a whole field of academic research that finds a high correlation between ethnic stratification and conflict.
Read Gonzalez’s excellent article for more analysis and examples of the social fractionalization associated with language ‘diversity'” .
DLH
