::::::::
I stopped by my Mexican client's home, to help them with the computer I had dropped off. As an elementary counselor, I worked with their youngest daughter who was scared to ride the bus; she was missing it every day and putting her parents in a bind. So, ... I would get her out of her class 5 minutes before her bus and we would sit down on the steps and wait for her bus. She was always the first one on, ... after the routine was established. You get to know a little kid when you see them every day, and they find a little cubby-hole in your heart.Their house was an old farm house just inside the city limits. Momma didn't speak English and neither did the dad. The older daughter spoke English very well. She was my ace-up-the sleeve. All I had to do was teach her how to use it and the family would quickly become computer literate. I paid special attention to the little girl until she moved out of our building. Now they live in a neat house in town. THEY'VE MOVED UP, like all US Citizens try.
Even when the peanut plant closed down, the father found another job. Of course, neither of the parents were here legally, but they paid taxes and their family was a part of the community and school. The daddy and mommy love the public schools and would lie down in front of a school bus, to keeping our public school system, the greatest institution in the world, open and viable for all kids. And their kids blossomed in the public school system.
In China, by law, no one can teach their immigrants - those who move from inland villages where they lived a life of subsistence, to the big city to reach for the golden ring. I think the passing of state laws that "... want an only one language" country, have already been defeated. Bought some new appliance stuff, lately? Checking out the manual, and it will, more than likely, have a multi-language manual: French, Spanish, and English. You see, even our companies see a chicken that lays golden eggs and caters to them, ... or should we say, obliges them.
What do we call a person who speaks several languages? A multilingual American. How about a person who knows two languages? A bilingual person. That is what I am. I speak English and Pig Latin fluently. What do you call someone who speaks only one language? An American. Groan. Yeh, yeh, I've heard it too. But it is true.
We have a family in our small town who owns a camp area. At every parade or get together, they are handing out leaflets about their "Christian school." His students are his children and are all good lookin' and smart and are about the only ones in the school. In a public school, those children would be exactly the same, and, ... better than that, they could make a difference in a public school setting. They could have been involved in THE BAND, THE BASKETBALL team, TRACK, DRAMA, MUSIC, TECHNOLOGY, and many other programs. Yet, they stay at home and do their teacher thing, pugnaciously. It is sad to see those kids missing out on making a difference amongst their peers. These students don't have a choice, because their parents have made the decision and must continually reinforce their angst against our public education system. Sad.
My kids are furiously loyal to their friends. They keep them. We went to our grandson's first birthday and their high school friends were there too. Working for wildlifedepartment.com, our oldest did one whole show on taking out a couple of his friends from high school, to digitize them on Canton Lake fishing for saugeye for their weekly half hour Oklahoma Outdoor program. In fact, one of his friends was from an illegal Mexican family that had settled in this small town. That is what public education is all about - a multi-ethnic adventure.
Sadly, all of my kids have had to be part of a funeral for their friends. They easily found pall bearers. What about home schoolers, if they need to find pallbearers? After all, that is what every one of us face when we die. Will we have enough friends, to be our pallbearers? Family members should be excluded and should be sitting in the family pews, ... up front.
Sure, our schools have problems with slow students. My track coach worked with me trying to get me competitive in the one mile run. Are you kidding? After the second time, track became free time. My name was never called.
There is plenty of room and need for Mexican families in small town America that dot the United States. All it takes is a plan of action and rewarding a Mexican family. What was it, "the parable of the man who was robbed and left on the side of the road to die?" I wonder if our Republican friends read that parable and understand it. Sure, Angela Jolie can adopt kids from over seas, but she has passed by the Mexican children who have to live in drug infested Mexican towns.
