Chronology of Events, Court Decisions, and Legislation Affecting Language Minority Children in American Public Education

            Historically, the public education system in America has adversely affected three language minority groups; American Indians, African Americans and Latinos. American Indians had many ways of educating their youth until the arrival of the Europeans. For 250 years Europeans forced Indians to follow the Anglo-American way of life through English-only teachings. Really young Indian children were taken from their parents and so-called “primitive” ways and sent to off-reservation boarding schools where they could learn the white man’s philosophy of life. Finally, in 1934 we begin to see sensitivity towards Indian cultural values. Strict military discipline is no longer used in boarding schools. Indian history, art and language was also presented in Indian schools. However, this was short lived. Then came The National Advisory Council on Indian Education of 1965. It was formed to discuss funding and administration of programs that would benefit Indian children and adults. This, too, was short-lived.

            For many centuries African Americans were enslaved and denied inalienable rights. Formal education was forbidden in many Southern states. Bodily harm was inflicted upon those who pursued academic learning. African Americans who were born free and living in Northern states experienced a much better life. Although public schools were set up for the education of African American children, all were less funded and less structured than white schools. Africans won many of the 100 court cases that disputed segregation and discrimination in schools. In 1855 segregation was outlawed in Massachusetts.  The South, however, needed 100 more years of court struggles to desegregate schools.

            After the war between Mexico and the US, a treaty was planned to protect the rights and property of Mexicans living in the Southwest. However, the treaty was never approved. Mexicans were considered defeated and denied citizenship rights, including the right to vote. Laws, such as “Greaser Laws” were passed to further marginalize them. Racial minorities were treated poorly in the educational school system. Puerto Ricans also suffered for five hundred years. After the island was ceded by Spain, Puerto Ricans became hopeful. America, however, just wanted to profit from their resources. Public schools were maintained on an insignificant budget. America’s only goal was to Americanize the Puerto Rican people through English only teachings. When deprivation forced Puerto Ricans to flee north, they were faced with the same treatment in New York. Children attended overcrowded, under-resourced and inadequately staffed schools. Puerto Ricans were not considered US citizens if they spoke with a Spanish accent. Teachers were denied permanent positions regardless of their skills. Children were classified on an A-F scale according to their dialect. The 1968 Bilingual Education Act recognized the needs of language minority students and promoted better access to curriculum and well-trained teachers, while encouraging achievement among students. Through this chronology of events, we can see some of the progress made in the education of language minority students. Santa Ana (2004) argues that the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act: completely erased the word bilingual from federal policy, foreshadowing hopeless times for our language minority students.