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Shelly
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Kid suspended for speaking Spanish at school
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Most of the time, 16-year-old Zach Rubio converses in clear, unaccented American teen-speak, a form of English in which the three most common words are "like," "whatever" and "totally." But Zach is also fluent in his dad's native language, Spanish -- and that's what got him suspended from school.
"It was, like, totally not in the classroom," the high school junior said, recalling the infraction. "We were in the, like, hall or whatever, on restroom break. This kid I know, he's like, 'Me prestas un dolar?' ['Will you lend me a dollar?'] Well, he asked in Spanish; it just seemed natural to answer that way. So I'm like, 'No problema.' "
But that conversation turned out to be a big problem for the staff at the Endeavor Alternative School, a small public high school in an ethnically mixed blue-collar neighborhood. A teacher who overheard the two boys sent Zach to the office, where Principal Jennifer Watts ordered him to call his father and leave the school.
Watts, whom students describe as a disciplinarian, said she can't discuss the case. But in a written "discipline referral" explaining her decision to suspend Zach for 1 1/2 days, she noted: "This is not the first time we have [asked] Zach and others to not speak Spanish at school."
Since then, the suspension of Zach Rubio has become the talk of the town in both English and Spanish newspapers and radio shows. The school district has officially rescinded his punishment and said that speaking a foreign language is not grounds for suspension. Meanwhile, the Rubio family has retained a lawyer, who says a civil rights lawsuit may be in the offing.
National debate The tension here surrounding that brief exchange in a high school hall reflects a broader national debate over the language Americans should speak amid a wave of Hispanic immigration.
The National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group, says that 20 percent of the U.S. school-age population is Latino. For half of those Latino students, the native language is Spanish.
Conflicts are bursting out nationwide over bilingual education, "English-only" laws, Spanish-language publications and advertising, and other linguistic collisions. Language concerns have been a key aspect of the growing political movement to reduce immigration.
"There's a lot of backlash against the increasing Hispanic population," said D.C. school board member Victor A. Reinoso. "We've seen some of it in the D.C. schools. You see it in some cities, where people complain that their tax money shouldn't be used to print public notices in Spanish. And there have been cases where schools want to ban foreign languages."
Some advocates of an English-only policy in U.S. schools say that it is particularly important for students from immigrant families to use the nation's dominant language.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) made that point this summer when he vetoed a bill authorizing various academic subjects to be tested in Spanish in the state's public schools. "As an immigrant," the Austrian-born governor said, "I know the importance of mastering English as quickly and as comprehensively as possible."
Hispanic groups generally agree with that, but they emphasize the value of a multilingual citizenry. "A fully bilingual young man like Zach Rubio should be considered an asset to the community," said Janet Murguia, national president of La Raza.
Broad influence The influx of immigrants has reached every corner of the country -- even here in Kansas City, which is about as far as a U.S. town can be from a border. Along Southwest Boulevard, a main street through some of the older neighborhoods, there are blocks where almost every shop and restaurant has signs written in Spanish.
"Most people, they don't care where you're from," said Zach's father, Lorenzo Rubio, a native of Veracruz, Mexico, who has lived in Kansas City for a quarter-century. "But sometimes, when they hear my accent, I get this, sort of, 'Why don't you go back home?' "
Rubio, a U.S. citizen, credits U.S. immigration law for his decision to fight his son's suspension.
"You can't just walk in and become a citizen," he said. "They make you take this government test. I studied for that test, and I learned that in America, they can't punish you unless you violate a written policy."
Rubio said he remembered that lesson on Nov. 28, when he received a call from Endeavor Alternative saying his son had been suspended.
"So I went to the principal and said, 'My son, he's not suspended for fighting, right? He's not suspended for disrespecting anyone. He's suspended for speaking Spanish in the hall?' So I asked her to show me the written policy about that. But they didn't have" one.
Rubio then called the superintendent of the Turner Unified School District, which operates the school. The district immediately rescinded Zach's suspension, local media reported. The superintendent did not respond to several requests to comment for this article.
Since then, the issue of speaking Spanish in the hall has not been raised at the school, Zach said. "I know it would be, like, disruptive if I answered in Spanish in the classroom. I totally don't do that. But outside of class now, the teachers are like, 'Whatever.' "
For Zach's father, and for the Hispanic organizations that have expressed concern, the suspension is not a closed case. "Obviously they've violated his civil rights," said Chuck Chionuma, a lawyer in Kansas City, Mo., who is representing the Rubio family. "We're studying what form of legal redress will correct the situation."
Said Rubio: "I'm mainly doing this for other Mexican families, where the legal status is kind of shaky and they are afraid to speak up. Punished for speaking Spanish? Somebody has to stand up and say: This is wrong."
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Posted 12/9/05 9:52 AM |
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Shelly
She's 7!!!
Member since 8/05 14624 total posts
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Re: Kid suspended for speaking Spanish at school
I'm sorry, but I think this is compleltely wrong. I am the child of immigrants, and I think its very important that kids speak English in school. But kids having a casual, personal exchange in the hallway?? I don't think that is worthy of a suspension.
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Posted 12/9/05 9:53 AM |
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Moehick
Ready for the sun!
Member since 5/05 30339 total posts
Name: Properly perfect™
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Re: Kid suspended for speaking Spanish at school
This is the most asinine thing I have heard a child get suspended for
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Posted 12/9/05 9:55 AM |
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JennChris
life moves fast
Member since 5/05 4225 total posts
Name: Jenn
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Re: Kid suspended for speaking Spanish at school
That is absolutely ridiculous!
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Posted 12/9/05 9:57 AM |
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LadyMaravilla
Fall Is Here
Member since 5/05 12023 total posts
Name: Sonia
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Re: Kid suspended for speaking Spanish at school
This makes no F'in sense! Stuff like this makes me angry and realize more and more that it's part of every life. Also makes me see that DH and I must teach our daughter to speak Spanish gosh darn it!
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Posted 12/9/05 10:06 AM |
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Re: Kid suspended for speaking Spanish at school
Yep, they are embracing diversity in Kansas, for sure.
As an educator, this is something that gets me so angry. I just finished two days of training on working with English Langauge Learners and unfortunately there are plenty of stories like this out there.
If they knew anything, teachers in KC would know that kids who are strong (and remain strong) in their first language are much more likely to become highly skilled in additional langauges.
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Posted 12/9/05 11:01 AM |
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Jax430
Hi!
Member since 5/05 18919 total posts
Name: Jackie
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Re: Kid suspended for speaking Spanish at school
How ridiculous!
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Posted 12/9/05 11:09 AM |
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BabyAvocado
Happy New Year
Member since 5/05 17334 total posts
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Re: Kid suspended for speaking Spanish at school
That is just STUPID. How are you going to try and suspend a child for speaking another language in the hallway? When did being bilingual become punishable?
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Posted 12/9/05 11:18 AM |
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Leeners
:)
Member since 5/05 4898 total posts
Name: Eileen
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Re: Kid suspended for speaking Spanish at school
How DARE they suspend him for speaking in Spanish?!?!?!!?! That woman better be prepared to lose her job over this because that's exactly what's going to happen. As a well-educated woman, she should be very aware that there is NO official language of the United States. While the classrooms should keep to a single language, "No problema" should NOT cause a stir in the hallways.
What a moron
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Posted 12/9/05 12:05 PM |
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BabyBoy
is Skylar Elizabeth
Member since 5/05 4189 total posts
Name: Tom
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Re: Kid suspended for speaking Spanish at school
not to disagree with the topic...it is silly to talk spanish in school and get in trouble
BUT
what if people speak another langauge and plan to do something bad (like a bomb or shot up ppl). I would be woried that most of the people don't know what they are talking about it. granted you shouldn't judge another lagauage as a threat but what if...?
just the past year, in little league, they banned spanish speaking players in the states from using it as a form of commicateing. they did this because not every speaks spanish so automatcally, they had an edge in games vs. state teams that only speak english.
Message edited 12/9/2005 12:28:21 PM.
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Posted 12/9/05 12:27 PM |
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LadyMaravilla
Fall Is Here
Member since 5/05 12023 total posts
Name: Sonia
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Re: Kid suspended for speaking Spanish at school
Posted by BabyBoy
not to disagree with the topic...it is silly to talk spanish in school and get in trouble
BUT
what if people speak another langauge and plan to do something bad (like a bomb or shot up ppl). I would be woried that most of the people don't know what they are talking about it. granted you shouldn't judge another lagauage as a threat but what if...?
just the past year, in little league, they banned spanish speaking players in the states from using it as a form of commicateing. they did this because not every speaks spanish so automatcally, they had an edge in games vs. state teams that only speak english.
I do see your point, but if anyone wants to bomb anything they will do it regardless of language. If in fact this kid was speaking Spanish to his friend in class while class was going on and it got outta control while being surrounded by people who knew nothing if what he was saying. Fine suspend him, but come on. That's Bull$h!t! He made one comment...one Sentence. Bomba & bomb are the same basically in spanish & English so the bomb issue is ridiculous!
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Posted 12/9/05 12:32 PM |
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DebG
Pick a cause & stand up for it
Member since 5/05 18602 total posts
Name: The cure IS worse!
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Re: Kid suspended for speaking Spanish at school
What malarky!
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Posted 12/9/05 12:38 PM |
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BabyAvocado
Happy New Year
Member since 5/05 17334 total posts
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Re: Kid suspended for speaking Spanish at school
Posted by BabyBoy
not to disagree with the topic...it is silly to talk spanish in school and get in trouble
BUT
what if people speak another langauge and plan to do something bad (like a bomb or shot up ppl). I would be woried that most of the people don't know what they are talking about it. granted you shouldn't judge another lagauage as a threat but what if...?
just the past year, in little league, they banned spanish speaking players in the states from using it as a form of commicateing. they did this because not every speaks spanish so automatcally, they had an edge in games vs. state teams that only speak english.
I understand where you are going with this but if we let that kind of fear take over then where does the line get drawn? Do we eventually stop allowing people to follow certain cultural traditions different than those that are "American" simply because we don't understand them? Could it eventually lead to us just saying no more immigrants period because they could potentially be terrorists?
I don't understand that little league ban either... don't baseball teams use signals to communicate that the other team is not supposed to understand also? Why is speaking another language different than that.... maybe I'm just not understanding how it's being used.
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Posted 12/9/05 2:45 PM |
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Shelly
She's 7!!!
Member since 8/05 14624 total posts
Name:
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Re: Kid suspended for speaking Spanish at school
that would be why our intelligence department needs to learn Arabic (which they only did after 9/11). An attorney in my office was over in Iraq with the army and he told me none of the Americans over there spoke Arabic.
That has nothing to do with kids learning a second language. My DH is from another country and plans to speak to our kids in his language. Now I have to learn it too
The best defense to what you said is for us ALL to be multilingual- which would be great. I see where you're coming from, but I don't think kids talking in school has anything to do with it.
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Posted 12/9/05 2:51 PM |
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LadyMaravilla
Fall Is Here
Member since 5/05 12023 total posts
Name: Sonia
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Re: Kid suspended for speaking Spanish at school
Posted by Shellyesq
that would be why our intelligence department needs to learn Arabic (which they only did after 9/11). An attorney in my office was over in Iraq with the army and he told me none of the Americans over there spoke Arabic.
That has nothing to do with kids learning a second language. My DH is from another country and plans to speak to our kids in his language. Now I have to learn it too
The best defense to what you said is for us ALL to be multilingual- which would be great. I see where you're coming from, but I don't think kids talking in school has anything to do with it.
Words of wisdom have been spoken yet once again!
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Posted 12/9/05 2:53 PM |
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SoinLove
Making big changes
Member since 5/05 16541 total posts
Name: Kristin
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Re: Kid suspended for speaking Spanish at school
How absurd
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Posted 12/9/05 3:43 PM |
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Juliet
Family is Complete!
Member since 5/05 5913 total posts
Name: Juliet
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Re: Kid suspended for speaking Spanish at school
Wow, if they ever tried that in NY they would have to suspend half the school in some towns.
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Posted 12/9/05 6:45 PM |
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Juliet
Family is Complete!
Member since 5/05 5913 total posts
Name: Juliet
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Re: Kid suspended for speaking Spanish at school
Oh yeah, I find it ridiculous too!
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Posted 12/9/05 6:45 PM |
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lvdolphins
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Re: Kid suspended for speaking Spanish at school
ridiculous!
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Posted 12/9/05 7:01 PM |
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