I was five years old I have no recognition of how the news had been given to me or where or how. All I really remember was being told I was moving to the United states and moving in with my father. I had everything I needed in the Dominican Republic probably more than I used. I was in the first grade in the Dominican Republic lived in a very small house in poor conditions. Even though this house was small and seemed like it was worth nothing, to me its worth was the same as a mansion. It showed me that I did not need alot of superficial things to be happy. I remember thinking, " what a big bird" considering that I had never been on a airplane before.
My mom and my aunt where scared out of their mind me, and my cousins and my siblings where actually very excited. I really did not have many expectations. I was very bright and outgoing. When we came to the Untided States we lived in New York in a neighborhood called Washington Heights. I liked it, not as much as the Dominican Republic but it was very welcoming. I was told that since I was five years old I would have to be left back one grade. The Board of Education system placed me in kindergarden. To me it seemed unfair considering that I had spent an intire year repeating the same thing I had learned in the Dominican Republic.
My language "disability" was considered a big factor of my learning experience. Both of my teachers where not fluent in spanish and did not understand anything I would tell them, I would not understand anything they told me. Since I was new in New York and also in this school, I really did not have many friends. I also felt very isolated, as time passed by it did get better. However, it was not hard for me to pass . I did not need to learn how to speak English, to know how to draw, or know the alphabet. Considering that it was kindergarden, and many of the children did not know their number or alphabet. Sometimes I would give it a try and I would just repeat what ever they were saying. As time passed by I learned the numbers and alphabet. The only reason I learned the numbers and alphabet was because as we said the word the teacher would point at the object. I also learned other words through television and by paying close attention to my friend's translations. I needed a lot of help with my homework. Since I did not understand half of the things I was being told i would ask my sister for help. however my sister would not know either so she would walk me eight blocks or call my cousins house. She hated helping me but really did not have an option. She hated to see me cry, I was young and got upset over almost everything.
Think about it, this is only my statement of the struggle in school. Just like myself there are many children that because of their lack of speaking English have been unable to the right of education. Some of them have had to go through harder times. New York is the city of their dreams but how can there be dreams without no sleep? Everyone decides to bring there kids to the United States for a "better future". How can that be found if there rights are provided instead violeted and hidden.
There has been several court cases that have been a movement for bilingual students. One of the cases is the Lau v. Nichols on the 1970' s in San Francisco. The main point proven in this court case was that there had been a large amount of chinese students that did not speack english and where being denied them bilingual classes or instructions. The students argued that the actions taken by the school violeted the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The students won the case (findlaw). Another well known case is the Meyer v. Nebraska on the 1920's in Nebraska. the instructor in Zion Parochial School was teaching a student German who was ten years old (cornell).
work cited
Lawyer, Lawyers, Attorney, http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=414&invol=563.
Cornell University. Web. 02 Dec. 2011. <http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0262_0390_ZO.html>. When everyone doesn't start at the same point at school is everyone receiving the same education?Attorneys, Law, Legal Information - FindLaw. Web. 02 Dec. 2011.
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