This paper on the Mexican Americans in the south-western states in the United States aims at examining whether bilingual education of this ethnic group could be a means to help the Mexican Americans escape the vicious circle they live in.
The introduction will give a short historical overview over the Mexican Americans′ schooling.
In the main part, the description of what is referred to as vicious circle will be followed by the depiction of the Mexican Americans′ situation in school in the south-western states of the United States. As this situation cannot be considered as good, the Bilingual Education Act of 1968 which marked a first step towards an improvement will be introduced. Apart from that, two models of bilingual education will mainly find reconsideration and will be compared with each other regarding their usefulness to give the Mexican Americans an equal educational opportunity as the Anglo Americans have. Towards the end of the main part, the attempt will be made to answer the topic question of this paper. Several obstacles on the way to ′good′ bilingual schooling and possible alternatives will be mentioned then.
The concluding remarks will sum up the result of this paper and will shortly focus on the contemporary situation of the Mexican Americans in the American school system.
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Table of Contents
Introductory Remarks
Introduction
Bilingual Education for the Mexican Americans – A Way out of the Vicious Circle?
Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This paper examines the educational situation of Mexican Americans in the Southwestern United States, specifically analyzing whether bilingual education can serve as a catalyst to break the cycle of poverty, social exclusion, and educational failure often faced by this ethnic group.
- The historical context of Mexican American segregation and educational neglect.
- The socioeconomic and structural "vicious circle" perpetuating educational inequality.
- An evaluation of the Bilingual Education Act of 1968 and its implementation.
- A comparative analysis of assimilationist, pluralistic, and separatist educational models.
- The necessity of cultural and linguistic recognition for achieving equal educational opportunities.
Excerpt from the Book
Bilingual Education for the Mexican Americans – A Way out of the Vicious Circle?
The statistics reveal that Mexican American pupils as compared to Anglo American pupils generally lag behind in schoolwork by at least three years (Duran 347). They can be considered the most retarded ethnic group in the United States. The Negroes are one year in advance. The Mexican Americans even have a lower educational attainment than the Puerto Ricans and the Cubans (McKnee 112).
There are many different factors playing an important role with regard to the Mexican Americans‘ high amount of retardation. First of all, they have different social advantages: Many of the Mexican American families are poor as they have a low income. They do mainly do manual labour such as fruit picking and farming. For that reason, these families need their children to work on the fields and to do the harvest which makes these children miss a great amount of time in school. As Thomas and Taylor found out in their research on children of migrant families (Duran 1982, 348), most of the children have to work over a period of seven months annually, a fact that leaves only five months of school per year. But this is not the only reason for their retardation. Secondly, the American school system has to be made responsible as well as it is said to “function[s] best when conforming middle-class administrators and teachers professing middle-class values, address themselves to middle-class students who possess the same value orientation or are in the process of acquiring it. Lower class and minority students who do not fit in the mold are less likely to be educated [...]” (Johnson 88).
Summary of Chapters
Introductory Remarks: The author outlines the scope of the study, noting that it focuses on the educational situation of Mexican Americans in the 1960s and the potential for bilingual programs to foster equality.
Introduction: This section provides a historical overview of the educational system, characterizing it as historically exclusionary and segregated for Mexican American students.
Bilingual Education for the Mexican Americans – A Way out of the Vicious Circle?: This core chapter analyzes the systemic causes of educational failure—such as poverty and language barriers—and evaluates various instructional models, arguing for a pluralistic approach.
Conclusion: The author summarizes that while bilingual education offers a path toward equality and self-esteem, successful implementation requires a shift away from assimilation toward a truly pluralistic and inclusive educational environment.
Keywords
Mexican Americans, Bilingual Education, Educational Inequality, Vicious Circle, Assimilation Model, Cultural Pluralism, Segregation, Language Barrier, Cultural Deprivation, Ethnic Minority, Title VII, Southwest United States, Social Exclusion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this paper?
The paper explores the educational experiences of Mexican Americans in the Southwestern United States, focusing on how specific school systems and policies have historically contributed to their academic marginalization.
What are the central themes of the work?
Key themes include the impact of segregation, the role of socioeconomic status, the influence of the Bilingual Education Act, and the pedagogical conflict between assimilationist and pluralistic teaching philosophies.
What is the main goal or research question?
The research asks whether bilingual education can effectively serve as a means to help Mexican American students break out of a "vicious circle" of poverty and educational failure.
Which methodology is used in the study?
The study utilizes a qualitative literature review and historical analysis, drawing on various educational studies, statistics, and legal documents from the 1960s and 1970s.
What is the focus of the main section?
The main part of the paper details the history of educational neglect, the linguistic challenges faced by Spanish-speaking students, and a comparative critique of various bilingual school models.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Essential keywords include Bilingual Education, Mexican Americans, Cultural Pluralism, Educational Equality, and Assimilation.
What does the author mean by the "vicious circle"?
The "vicious circle" refers to a self-perpetuating cycle where poor education leads to low-skilled employment and poverty, which in turn causes the next generation to miss school, thereby maintaining the original state of social and economic disadvantage.
How does the author evaluate the "assimilation model"?
The author argues that the assimilation model is detrimental because it demands that minority students abandon their cultural heritage, alienating them from their roots and often resulting in lower academic self-esteem.
- Citation du texte
- Julia Hansens (Auteur), 2002, Bilingual Education for the Mexican Americans - A Way out of the Vicious Circle?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/8041
