[Transcript of interviews with Dr. Guadalupe San Miguel and Dr. Carlos Blanton] Page: 5 of 14
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different cultures. So I think we need to become aware in many respects we are talking about
values, and we have to clarify what those values are because some individuals do not support
pluralism. Some individuals do not want to redefine what America means. Some individuals do
not want to accept the realities of multiculturalism and multilingualism. This is the reality of the
United States. So when we talk about a good bilingual program, or a good program for these
children, we're also talking about values, and when we talk about values, we also need to
understand others will take a different view of that and so that means we have to be engaged in
struggle because we have to convince others, and persuade others that our values are the more
appropriate value for the kind of society that we have or the kind of society that we want.
Interviewer: Lastly, why should bilingual educators read your book?
Man: Well, I think they should read the book, because again, it illustrates many of these things
that I've been talking about, but most of all it shows how bilingual education is a contested
arena. It is something that we have to fight for. It is not something that is going to be given to
us. Educators are not gonna develop these programs out of the goodness of their hearts. It is
something we have to struggle for and we have to convince others of the necessity of these
programs. Now, a lot of times you don't have to convince many of my generation that these
programs are needed because we have the experience. We know that English-only instruction
doesn't work. Many of us went to these English-only schools, and no Spanish-speaking rules,
and many of us were punished or we know of friends that were punished. I mean I had a lot of
friends that were expelled; I was expelled temporarily from school, because I spoke Spanish
when I was a senior in High School, and we know what impact those policies had on us, as
individuals. The research now has shown that not only do these kinds of policies help promote
greater sensitivity to different cultures, and help us learn a second language, but it also shows,
that they are more effective in teaching children. Especially if you want to teach them English. I
mean, practically all the research, it doesn't matter if you are only looking at the United States,
you can look at research internationally, in other countries and research has shown, for the
most part, you know, quality, bilingual programs, are the fastest and most effective means to
teach a second language to children.
So just an effectiveness issue alone, we should support this program. But there are other issues
involved, and I think the book tries to show, and illustrate the complexities of the involvement
of all of these groups and what kinds of values they had in fighting for either the support of
bilingual education or in opposition to bilingual ed., and it shows a different side to bilingual
education that most of us are not taught in the schools. We're usually taught to look at
education as a neutral instrument, and we're not taught to look at education as a political
instrument, and if we read the book, and get that better understanding, hopefully, it'll lead to
discussions of how can we be more effective educators in our classroom, by becoming more
actively involved in supporting these quality programs.
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Texas Association of Bilingual Education. [Transcript of interviews with Dr. Guadalupe San Miguel and Dr. Carlos Blanton], text, 2011~; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1550289/m1/5/?q=%2218XX%22: accessed August 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.