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Everytime I make a call to a business that's any larger than Mom and Pop and cousin Joe, I am treated to an automated recording which advises me to press 1 for English or 2 for Spanish. Colorado has got to be one of the most backward states in the union, but even it seems to recognize that there is a significant percentage of the population out there that is most comfortable transacting business in Spanish.
Certainly, it is very important for children whose native tongue is Spanish to become proficient in English, as well, if they wish to get far in the US as adults. However, disciplining a student for speaking Spanish outside the classrooms reminds me of the stories of Native American children who were taken away to boarding schools and punished for speaking in their own tongue. This country lost a major portion of its native heritage with the loss of those languages. One thing I love about being in the 4 corners area is the chance to hear the Navajo language on the airwaves, and look at the great contribution the Navajo code talkers made in WWII. That principle should be exiled to South America.
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