Ofelia Garcia

In June 1998, California voters passed Proposition 227, a measure that ends public bilingual education programs in that state. In the following viewpoint, Ofelia Garcia contends that the implementation of Proposition 227 will prove to be a setback for California’s immigrant students. Research proves that well- planned bilingual education programs that emphasize fluency in both English and Spanish enable Hispanic immigrants to excel academically. Moreover, Garcia argues, bilingual education for all students would benefit American society by enhancing communication and understanding among different ethnicities and language groups. Garcia is dean of the School of Education at the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University. She is also coeditor of The Multilingual Apple: Languages in New York City.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. When was the nation’s first bilingual education act passed"

2. According to the author...