Principal Bans Hispanic Students from Speaking Spanish

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

So much for the principal being your pal: A Texas middle school principal informed Hispanic students in her school that they would no longer be allowed to speak Spanish while in class.
Principal Amy Lacey of Hempstead Middle School in Hempstead made the announcement over the intercom last month.
It didn't stick: With over 50 percent of students enrolled at the school being Hispanic, it didn't take long for the school district to issue a letter clarifying that there was no official policy "prohibiting the speaking of Spanish."
Principal Lacey has since been placed on paid administrative leave pending the results of a district investigation.
Despite the district's efforts to assuage parents, it seems some damage has already been done.
"People don’t want to speak [Spanish] no more, and they don’t want to get caught speaking it because they’re going to get in trouble," sixth-grader Kiara Lozano told KHOU.
Other students said several teachers have since issued their own ban on Spanish, telling students they will be written up or kicked out of class if they are caught speaking it.
Many in Hempstead also side with the principal on the issue of forced assimilation.
"I would defend her because she's right," resident Ruth Zboril told the CBS affiliate. "How else are they going to assimilate?"

People say FL is messed up but for my money I think TX has more bang for my buck

 

[Teelie]

That's one complicated situation with both sides having valid arguments.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Actually, I don't see the problem with this (assuming that the rule does not apply in Spanish class). If the language of instruction is English, then everyone needs to respect that. If they are speaking in Spanish, then by definition they are speaking out of turn in class. It seems to me that the principal is just enforcing classroom discipline.

I am a Chinese person from Vancouver (known for having a very high Chinese population), and if students in my public school classroom started talking in Mandarin during biology for no pedagogical reason, I'd be mad.

 

[Joshua_B]

My grandmother said this many times, and she was perfectly right...

"If we went to another country, most Americans would have to learn their language to survive; the same should be true here."

Like it or not, English is still the dominant language spoken in the United States, with 80% of citizens using it daily. By comparison, Spanish is spoken fluently by around 13% of the populace. I have no problem with Latinos communicating privately in a common tongue, but when you're in a place where most people don't share that language, its respectful to adapt.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I also feel the headline and the writing of the article is needlessly provocative. I am 99.9% sure that the principal is saying NO students can speak Spanish in class. The headline and the article is implying that white students are free to speak Spanish in class, which I am sure is not the case. The introduction of race appears to be an invention of the writer.

 

[GENERAL RAAM582]

My grandmother said this many times, and she was perfectly right...

"If we went to another country, most Americans would have to learn their language to survive; the same should be true here."

I don't completely agree with what the school has done, but I stand by this quote wholeheartedly.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Had to be Texas.

Somebody's ******** the Mexicans have big enough community to thrive without speaking any English.

 

[chaseter]

Assimilation isn't really the issue but education is. It makes it harder, costs more, and affects other students when not everyone in the same class speaks the same language.

 

[Tropico]

Actually, I don't see the problem with this (assuming that the rule does not apply in Spanish class). If the language of instruction is English, then everyone needs to respect that. If they are speaking in Spanish, then by definition they are speaking out of turn in class. It seems to me that the principal is just enforcing classroom discipline.

I am a Chinese person from Vancouver (known for having a very high Chinese population), and if students in my public school classroom started talking in Mandarin during biology for no pedagogical reason, I'd be mad.

The student could be asking in Spanish to the teacher or a classmate something he/she doesn't know in English. To you it's automatically speaking out of turn and undisciplined but to me that's a very narrow view. They could actually be trying to learn but now they're left with no alternative but to shut up and bury their doubts because they can't use their native tongue if they have any doubts. And, honestly, no matter what language you're speaking if you're yakking away at your neighbor you're speaking out of turn.

My grandmother said this many times, and she was perfectly right...

"If we went to another country, most Americans would have to learn their language to survive; the same should be true here."

Like it or not, English is still the dominant language spoken in the United States, with 80% of citizens using it daily. By comparison, Spanish is spoken fluently by around 13% of the populace. I have no problem with Latinos communicating privately in a common tongue, but when you're in a place where most people don't share that language, its respectful to adapt.

I'm bilingual, Spanish/English, but my native tongue is Spanish and that's what's most natural to me and what I like to speak with those like me, privately or in public. If I'm in a group I speak what most of the people are speaking so no one is left out. If it's just me and another person I really don't care about the rest of the people around me, I don't have to prove to anyone how "adapted" I am. To you it might be disrespectful but to me it's even more disrespectful to eavesdrop on others conversations, which is what pisses off a lot of people when someone speaks in another language. That and they immediately think they're speaking about them.

BTW, it has been my experience that most Americans actually get angry when they go to other countries and someone doesn't speak English. It's good business sense if you're in tourism to do so, but it's not an obligation. Also, many think being an American citizen grants them rights outside of the USA. I've known Americans that have lived overseas for decades and barely know enough survival [insert foreign language here] because they live in communities where it's mostly Americans and they stick to going to places near them that obviously have started catering to them as a benefit to themselves, not because they should.

 

[Breogan]

Need more details.

a. Most these kids will grow up bilingual, which can be a good thing.

b. If some kids don't actually speak enough English, and can only reply in Spanish, then they need to be moved into an ESL with kids in similar level of English comprehension.

c. If kids do speak enough English but want to answer the teachers and staff in Spanish and turn in work and do class assignments in Spanish than yes it's a problem. And that should not be allowed.
They are there to learn and communicate in English and turn in work in English.

d. If kids are speaking to each other disrupting class in ANY language it's disruptive, and should not be tolerated. That should have nothing to do with the language of the disruption though.
If it's a disruption it is disruptive regardless of the language.
If these disruptions are being only singled out because they are in Spanish, then they are discriminating.
(again if these are not disruptions but they are in fact addressing the teacher or doing spoken assignments in Spanish then see c.)

e. If they are trying to ban Spanish from being spoken on the kids own time but still on school premises, than it's discrimination.

 

[Warhammer]

As someone who is half-Asian, I definitely can see both sides. On one hand, speaking another language when everyone in the room speaks English is rude. In a middle school, I can see why that is complicates things if it got to a point where the principal actually had to make an announcement about it.

However, on the other hand, straight up banning a language sounds a little outrageous. There is no way that can be a headline without people either getting angry or confused at first.

 

[Pink Ranger]

A Texas middle school principal informed Hispanic students in her school that they would no longer be allowed to speak Spanish while in class.

Let's all read the above lead line carefully for context. I think this comes across as much more reasonable.

 

[Breogan]

I have no problem with Latinos communicating privately in a common tongue, but when you're in a place where most people don't share that language...

Unless they are addressing you, it's none of your business what language anyone speaks in public.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

While I don't think they should be speaking out of turn I have no problem if they want to speak to each other in their native tongue since that is generally what a person uses to understand the most. I'm sure most of these students would be what we consider bi-lingual for the most part but if they want to speak to each other in that manner than it is their right as an American citizen

 

[SuperFerret]

I've got a few choice words in Spanish for this ****.

 

[enterthemadness]

I saw this thread title and thought 'Is this Florida? Good luck with that.''

But it's Texas, so....well, good luck with that.

Really....good luck.

 

[ARROGANCE]

a mi me da pedo yo voy a seguir hablando el castellano boludos. Y no hay nadien que me pare

 

[Thundercrack85]

You know, I actually used to argue that English should be the official language of the United States for the sake of practicality. But, then I had a discussion with a Hispanic friend, who pointed out that his family has been living in America (and speaking Spanish) since before the United States was even a country.

People have been speaking Spanish in America for nearly five centuries. What right to English speaking Americans have to impose their language on them?

Course this is a bad example, but Joshua's ethnocentric attitude reminded me of that conversation.

 

[Breogan]

a mi me da pedo yo voy a seguir hablando el castellano boludos. Y no hay nadien que me pare

LOL castellano. Nobody (latinos/hispanics) here really calls it that. Despite the fact

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

I saw this thread title and thought 'Is this Florida? Good luck with that.''

But it's Texas, so....well, good luck with that.

Really....good luck.

lol, that should be on their license plate, "Texas...wish us luck".

 

[ARROGANCE]

LOL castellano. Nobody (latinos/hispanics) here really calls it that. Despite the fact

Claro que le decimos al lenguaje español, castellano. De donde yo vengo Argentina, nosotros la mayoria lo llamamos castellano. Lo se que la mayoria no le llaman asi pero, que es el verdadero nombre del lengauje, es una tragedia

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Dem LA-TEEN-NOES are taking over tha thread.

I say we ban Spanish from this thread.

WHY???

'Murica

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

My roommates speak spanish to each other all the time when I'm around and I don't find it offensive

 

[DarkSentinel]

Itham iré u ithina iç kanam.

 

[Quasimod0]

Welcome to America: Now Speak English