Immigration and Immigration and English as a Second English as a Second Language EducationLanguage Education

Immigration and Immigration and English as a Second English as a Second Language EducationLanguage Education

Alex Draughan, Brooke Alex Draughan, Brooke Hayworth, Laura KruegerHayworth, Laura Krueger

Education in AmericaRights of the common citizen (Jefferson)

American nationalism (Hamilton)

Early 1900s Institutionalization of the U.S. Public School System: federal and state regulations control the training and certification of teachers

Summary of Wave 1 IdealsSummary of Wave 1 IdealsSummary of Wave 1 IdealsSummary of Wave 1 IdealsThe 1800s through The 1800s through earlyearly 1900s 1900s

-Ellis Island years, very difficult and challenging -Ellis Island years, very difficult and challenging years. years. -This wave included immigrants, largely men, -This wave included immigrants, largely men, from mostly eastern and southern Europe. from mostly eastern and southern Europe. These were the years in which immigrants were These were the years in which immigrants were slowly moving from farming to better economic slowly moving from farming to better economic opportunitiesopportunitiesPolicy towards Immigrating Peoples: Policy towards Immigrating Peoples: -The US had very little or no policy during these -The US had very little or no policy during these years. years.

MilestonesFirst Wave

New Years Day 1892Ms. Annie Moore, an Irish teenager becomes the first to enter Ellis Island.

Many immigrants then moved into Industrialized areas in the east and midwest regions.

1900s-Steam ships created easier travel situations by decreasing the trip from months to weeks and days, and decreasing the mortality rate.

Policy and ResponseLiteracy Test Act-1917- Only immigrants who could read in their

first language(L1) or English were allowed admission into the US.

Many Acts followed that limited the number of immigrating people to the

United States.

Educational Approaches

• Immersion schools were created almost as soon as the immigrants arrived.

Ethnic Stereotypes• Often accepted more readily were the immigrants from

western Europe. • Jewish and Northern European immigrants did well in

school. • Eastern European Jewish children excelled during this

period, but Italian and Slavic children performed poorly in school.

“Social Darwinism, with [the] philosophy of the “survival of the fittest” prevailed during the early

1900s, with 10 percent of immigrants entering through Ellis Island marked with some sign of physical or mental

problem (such as lameness, trachoma, pregnancy, etc.)

Gonzalez, Yawkey, Minaya-Rowe. English-As-A-Second-Language (ESL) Teaching and Gonzalez, Yawkey, Minaya-Rowe. English-As-A-Second-Language (ESL) Teaching and Learning: Pre-K-12 Classroom Applicaions for Students’ Academic Achievement and Learning: Pre-K-12 Classroom Applicaions for Students’ Academic Achievement and

Development. Pearson, 2006: Boston.Development. Pearson, 2006: Boston.

The Hardship of the Ellis Island Years

(1900-1959)(1900-1959)Assimilation/Cultural Assimilation/Cultural

AdaptationAdaptation

(1900-1959)(1900-1959)Assimilation/Cultural Assimilation/Cultural

AdaptationAdaptationBiculturalismBiculturalism

TransculturalismTransculturalism

AmericanizationAmericanization

Single-mindednessSingle-mindedness

Melting potMelting pot

PluralismPluralism

(1900-1959)Assimilation and

Cultural Adaptation

““[M]ost U.S. [M]ost U.S. institutions had as institutions had as a major goal to a major goal to Americanize Americanize immigrants, and immigrants, and the younger the the younger the better.”better.”Gonzalez, Yawkey, Minaya-Rowe. English-As-A-Second-Language Gonzalez, Yawkey, Minaya-Rowe. English-As-A-Second-Language (ESL) Teaching and Learning: Pre-K-12 Classroom Applicaions for (ESL) Teaching and Learning: Pre-K-12 Classroom Applicaions for Students’ Academic Achievement and Development. Pearson, 2006: Students’ Academic Achievement and Development. Pearson, 2006: Boston.Boston.

(1900-1959)Assimilation and

Cultural Adaptation• Home/isolation vs. mainstream

– Mothers, Fathers, children– Cognitive gaps– Generational gaps

• Ideology conflicts:– Europe: fatalism, lack of social mobility– America: Liberty, democracy

(1900-1959) Milestones

• Industrial Revolution: – American clothing– Tradesman jobs vs. machinery

• Great Depression:– Return to Europe

• Progressive Movement• Social Justice• African American migration:

– From South to large Northern cities

(1900-1959) Policy and Response

– 1912 YMCA: adaptation, “single-mindedness,” Christian nation “melting pot,” middle class standards, English language classes and citizenship

– 1914 Committee for Immigrants in America (Miss Frances Kellor): business efficiency to mainstream institutions (schooling, factories, businesses)

(1900-1959) Policy and Response

• Immigration legislation– 1917 Literacy Test Act: L1 literacy

required – 1920 Cultural Pluralism (John

Dewey): opposed Americanization and Assimilation movements; exposure to democracy instills cultural values and nationalism and national identification

(1900-1959) Policy and Response– 1921 Emergency Quota Act: 3% of

people of given nationality living in U.S. during year 1910

– 1924 National Origins Act: favors northern Europeans and restricted immigration

– 1954 McCarran-Walter Act: increased quota above former 2%, gave quotas to Asian countries previous excluded

Education (1900-1959): Mainstream Culture vs.

Diversity

“U.S. public schools of the early 1900s did not respond to the cultural diversity differences. Only some ethnic cultural groups, whose cultural background and values matched the mainstream American culture, could succeed academically and showed higher degrees of social adaptation and mobility.”

Gonzalez, Yawkey, Minaya-Rowe. English-As-A-Second-Language (ESL) Teaching and Learning: Pre-K-12 Classroom Applicaions for Students’ Academic Achievement and Development. Pearson, 2006: Boston.

(1900-1959) Ethnic stereotypes

• Established immigrants create their own stereotypes and prejudices against new waves of immigrants

• Immigrants carried prejudices over from Europe– Polish population

• High status: English nationals “ all cultured, refined, and educated”

• Low status: Greeks, Syrians, Italians and ethnic groups (such as Galicians)

Age of NormalcyAge of NormalcyAge of NormalcyAge of Normalcy

1915-1939 1915-1939 IsolationismIsolationismNeutralityNeutrality

1920’s-limitations of 1920’s-limitations of immigrationimmigration

• FDR:– Great Depression– Fair Employment

Practices Committee:

• Prevent discrimination by defense industries against anyone because of “race, color, creed, or national origin”

– 3 R’s:• Relief• Recovery• Reform

• Truman:– Committee on

Civil Rights: discrimination on the basis of race/religion prevents achievement of American ideal of democracy

Brown v. Board of Education

• 1954• “Separate educational facilities

are inherently unequal”

Civil Rights Era• 1960’s-1980’s• Civil Rights movement• Coleman Report: data-based

support for desegregation to improve student performance

• Title VI of 1964 Civil Rights Act

Segregation in Public Schools

1960’s to present• Busing• Desegregation is still not a reality• Introduction of magnet schools in

1970’s

Equal Educational Opportunity for the Poor

• Studies that demonstrate the negative effect of poverty on academic achievement:– James Conant– Michael Harrington

LBJ• War on Poverty with the Economic

Opportunity Act of 1964• Head Start which focuses on

school readiness

Elementary and Secondary Education Act

of 1965• Targeted African American and

ESL groups• Funding• Nutrition programs, social and

medical services, innovations in teaching practices, and “cultural and social enrichment” programs

Bilingual Education Act of 1968

• Lau v. Nichols (Chinese Americans in San Francisco)

• Support of bilingual education for ESL learners

• What is the school’s role? (Assimilation/multicultural appreciation)

No Child Left Behind 2001

• Title III• Mandate: ELLs learn academic English

to achieve at grade level in all content areas and assessments must be aligned with state standards

• 5 domains: acquisition in reading, writing, listening, speaking, and comprehension

New Immigrants: 1980’s, 1990’s, 2000’s

• Asians: integration into culture and high academic achievement

• Hispanics: different backgrounds that may not value education

New Immigrants: 1980’s, 1990’s, 2000’s

• “It takes the effort of mentors, acting as mediators between the mainstream and minority cultural value systems, for minority parents to become aware of the need for cultural adaptation. Parents’ awareness of cultural values endorsed by the mainstream school culture provides a genuine opportunity for their children to become achievers, access higher education, and gain social and economic mobility.”

Gonzalez, Yawkey, Minaya-Rowe. English-As-A-Second-Language (ESL) Teaching and Learning: Pre-K-12 Classroom Applicaions for Students’ Academic Achievement and Development. Pearson, 2006: Boston.

ConclusionConclusionConclusionConclusion““[T]he ultimate realization of the ‘American [T]he ultimate realization of the ‘American

dream’ is for educators to realize that most of dream’ is for educators to realize that most of us are part of this dream, the creation of a us are part of this dream, the creation of a country of immigrants and for immigrants.”country of immigrants and for immigrants.”

Gonzalez, Yawkey, Minaya-Rowe. English-As-A-Second-Language (ESL) Teaching and Learning: Pre-K-12 Classroom Gonzalez, Yawkey, Minaya-Rowe. English-As-A-Second-Language (ESL) Teaching and Learning: Pre-K-12 Classroom Applicaions for Students’ Academic Achievement and Development. Pearson, 2006: Boston.Applicaions for Students’ Academic Achievement and Development. Pearson, 2006: Boston.