The problem here is that the premise of English as a national glue is faulty. It ignores and. by default. it trivializes the very thing that has made the United States a beacon to the politically and economically oppressed people of the world. Wave upon wave of immigrants have come to the United States not to speak English. for heavens sake. They have come because they are desperate for freedom. They are desperate to participate in this great democracy. They are eager to participate in the American dream. The enduring bond between our culturally diverse population is and always has been a shared commitment to the democratic principles of freedom. justice. liberty and equal opportunity for all. Most immigrants come to the United States to build a better life. and every immigrant knows that in order to make the American dream a personal reality. English fluency is a must. There are immigrants who literally lose sleep to master English. The issue is not whether immigrants want to learn English. They have more than demonstrated their determination to speak the language. The question is how best to promote fluency and general learning among young immigrant students. and this brings us to the heated controversy over bilingual education. I endorse bilingual education and I am anxious to see the development of programs and funding to increase the number of bilingual teachers. Last year as a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives.
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