Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id f1O2EZ918299; Fri, 23 Feb 2001 21:14:35 -0500 (EST) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 21:14:35 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <3A971842.5C4D3929@adelphia.net> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Ahector <annhector@adelphia.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:5620] Re: Immigration Amnesty X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.76 [en] (Win98; U) Status: O Content-Length: 2779 Lines: 48 Education, including immigrant education in America is both an individual and social benefit. Although educating immigrants may prove to be expensive now, in the long run we'd see the economic and social benefits of that investment, because in America, it PAYS to have an education. It pays individually, and society benefits from that individual benefit. If we live with people on a small globe like ours, it makes so much sense to help them; we can't take a space-craft out of this world and dodge current conditions. (although one could kill oneself to escape it). "We have to help each other" is a very old Judeo-Christian ethic. Even the non-religious athiest would agree. We have taken the "Us and Them" notion to such reciprocally exclusive points that we have not realized that helping "them" at some point means helping "ourselves." Supposedly we have a "compassionate president" in the White House. I say supposedly, because I know I'm personally using his efforts and actions regarding immigrant literacy as one factor in judging his compassion. It's my hope that he'd provide the means--the money--to help everyone needing erudition in America--those that are immigrants and those that are Americans. [Because] education benefits us all. Ujwala Samant wrote: > Whilst I think the discussion on America, it's history with immigrants, etc. > is very fascinating, I think perhaps we're moving into personal issues. We > will all ultimately vote the way our conscience and our beliefs direct us. > The question that concerns me as an educator and researcher is what next, > should this amnesty be granted? What sort of infrastructure do we need to > have in place for these newcomers into adult classrooms, assuming they > aren't already in a program? > One issue that I would like to raise is how industry treats its cafeteria > and cleaning staff. In at least two industrial centers I visited, all the > staff are hired from a contracting agency. Most were Hispanophones who spoke > very little or no English. There have been problems where because they did > not know what the signs (Fuse boxes etc) meant, could have turned dangerous. > When asked why they were not in classes or why there were no signs in > Spanish, the answers were, English classes were the responsibility of the > contractor, NOT the place they were working at. Signs in Spanish (assuming > these folks are literate in Spanish) were an expense the industry did not > want to invest in, as they cost too much. Any suggestions on how to get > contracting agencies and companies who hire staff from these people to get > involved? > regards > Ujwala Samant > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Fri Jan 18 2002 - 11:30:31 EST