take me home | seminar : american identities

caroline (session of 17-11-2000) :

  • one problem is in defining the term "multiculturalism". when it is looked at simply as meaning the existence of a culturally integrated society, many people have no problems. however, when you go behind that and try to suggest a different way of arriving at that culturally integrated society, everybody seems to have a different opinion on what will work. since education is at the root of the problem, it might be appropriate to use this as en example in the context of our discussion (and in connection : the affirmative action-debate).
  • recent research has emphasized the economic, social and cognitive advantages available to bilinguals. yet for many immigrant groups, bilingualism is a temporary phenomenon. most immigrant children arrive in the united states as monolingual speakers of their native language, develop bilingualism as they acquire english, establish english-speaking households and raise their children as english-speaking monolinguals. according to survey data, even spanish, a language thought to be particularly enduring in the united states, seldom lasts beyond the second or third generation.

caroline pelckmans ||| 14-11-2000