Here I Stand 

On May 25, I wrote a column entitled "Latino Fear and Loathing" that has provoked considerable anger and recriminations among my fellow conservatives. In the column I asserted that, "Some people just don't like Mexicans - or anyone else from south of the border," and described some of the fears shaping these sentiments: "They think Latinos are freeloaders and welfare cheats who are too lazy to learn English. They think Latinos have too many babies, and that Latino kids will dumb down our schools. They think Latinos are dirty, diseased, indolent, and more prone to criminal behavior. They think Latinos are just too different from us ever to become real Americans." I said that those holding these views constituted less than ten percent of the population - an extrapolation of attitudes on race from several studies done over the years.

On May 25, I wrote a column entitled “Latino Fear and Loathing” that has provoked considerable anger and recriminations among my fellow conservatives. In the column I asserted that, “Some people just don’t like Mexicans — or anyone else from south of the border,” and described some of the fears shaping these sentiments: “They think Latinos are freeloaders and welfare cheats who are too lazy to learn English. They think Latinos have too many babies, and that Latino kids will dumb down our schools. They think Latinos are dirty, diseased, indolent, and more prone to criminal behavior. They think Latinos are just too different from us ever to become real Americans.” I said that those holding these views constituted less than ten percent of the population — an extrapolation of attitudes on race from several studies done over the years.

-----Original Message-----

From: Dan Stein [mailto: 'Dan Stein']
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 2:41 PM
To: Linda Chavez
Subject: Re: my column

Well, as you know Linda, I've always had a great deal of respect for you, and I admire you in a many, many ways. I was wrong to re-raise that issue with you. But I do believe that the immigration laws of this country are as important as any other law, and just because an individual can claim economic betterment by breaking them doesn't give a person the right to enter illegally.  This seems to be a huge dividing line in this debate. Many elites don't think "immigration law" is "real law," kind of like speeding. There are real class divisions growing in America, and the current debate is highlighting them. I am concerned about the future stability of this society of the social and economic trends continue. Some level of income disparity is to be expected -- its the price we pay for freedom. But the disparity is growing at an alarming rate, and I see immigration as fitting into this in many ways.

This monograph includes several articles by experts on both sides of the issue. It covers the economic costs and benefits of immigration as well as the cultural aspects and effects of current policies. The book also includes The Index of Leading Immigration Indicators, a user-friendly compilation of statistics on immigration.

DANIEL W. SUTHERLAND IS A LEGAL SCHOLAR WITH THE CENTER FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY. HE IS A GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA SCHOOL OF LAW

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Reprinted from an article by Linda Chavez in Reader's Digest. It discusses the history and background of bilingual education and exposes some of its flaws.

Luis Granados was a bright 5-year-old who could read simple English before he entered kindergarten in Sun Valley, Calif. But soon after the school year began, his mother was told that he couldn't keep up. Yolanda Granados was bewildered. "He knows his alphabet," she assured the teacher. "You don't understand," the teacher explained. "The use of both Spanish and English in the classroom is confusing him." Yolanda Granados was born in Mexico but speaks excellent English. Simply because Spanish is sometimes spoken in her household, however, the school district-without consulting her-put her son in bilingual classes. "I sent Luis to school to learn English," she declares.

In the past several years, education reformers have taken a very aggressive role in shaping education policy around the country. One of the centerpieces of these reform efforts has involved accountability through high-stakes tests. Every year millions of schoolchildren must face a battery of tests to determine if they will progress from one grade level to the next or be left behind as their friends and classmates pass them by.

This policy brief discusses the lack of evidence that high self-esteem leads to high achievement and that the promotion of self-esteem may actually cause an increase in violence. Educators are particularly eager to promote self-esteem among minority students and may in fact be causing considerable harm.

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