Crespin Esquivel is the principal of George Whittell High School in Zephyr Cove, Nevada.
He delivered his graduation address to the class of 2011 in English and then he repeated it in Spanish.
Read more.
Video, from MRC TV:
The graduating class had 30 students. Taken by itself, I don't think it's that big of a deal.
However, the issue of assimilation into American society is a big deal.
Every ethnic group that has come to this country has learned English to advance in our society.
All of my ancestors didn't speak English when they came to America, but they learned.
A common language, communication, is critical to social functioning.
Not learning the language is a barrier. It's divisive. It's expensive.
It was with pride that America was known as the Melting Pot.
Now, it's oil and water.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Crespin Esquivel, Whitell Graduation Address
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3 comments:
I believe that you are right people sholud learn the english language here in our country in fact it is the universal language. But I think this is a further reason as to why our country is considered one of the lowest when it comes to education. Furthermore consider every other country in the world who excepts and speaks at least two or more languages in their country.
I agree with you in the fact that everyone in the US needs to learn English. But I also think everyone in the world should learn English because it is our planets universal language.
I also think that everyone in the US should speak 2 or more languages. Our lack of considering a 2nd language is part of the reason as to why our country is rated one of the lowest educated countries in the world. Statistics show that those who are bilingual when in college, or working within society, are more successful.
I am a graduating student from Whittell High School, and can say that the education was not the problem with the language barrier, but it was rather the parents and distant family members of some of the mexican students. The principal is entirely incompetent, inexperienced, and rules the school with a sort of an iron fist. He recently kicked every single student out of the Homecoming dance because of "inappropriate dancing". Okay sure it may be more suggestive (although wasn't the "twist" once seen as inappropriate?), but he needs to think beyond the dance. With all the students having left the dance, they had a full 2 more hours for their party. This is all time that parents think that their kids are safe and sober at the school, when they are actually partying their hardest with over 100 people there. Since there was more time to party, more negative things happened. Kids got hurt and sent to the hospital, kids got arrested, fights broke out, and things were even stolen from the house... All in All this guy is a complete failure of a principal, and only further offended parents by delivering this speech.
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