7/12 Reflection

Who would not be inspired by Mr. Larievy? His firey, passionate dialogue on bilingualism in schools was thought provoking and informative. The mere fact that in this country we consider bilingualism to be a shortcoming instead of the attribute it truly is demonstrates how deeply the roots of prejudice run. We have always been a nation laden with prejudice; each new wave of immigrants has been treated with varying degrees of disrespect or outright animosity, and yet we are the country that goes around the world supposedly imposing its ideals of equality and justice. It is incredible to listen to Theodore Roosevelt's speech regarding assimilation of immigrants and be able to hear those same words echoed today in popular media. We need to celebrate diversity, not shun it, help students gain the tools they need to acheive, not punish them for what they don't have already. The class left me wondering if and how this thought could become popular, or if US citizens are too ignorant and proud to see the benefit of multilingualism and the beauty in diverse cultures.