After reading all the hullabaloo concerning the youth who were brought as babies or young children to the U.S. from Mexico and Central America, I feel I must put in my ideas since I lived in the Valley all my life before moving up here recently to live with my daughter.
I am almost 96 years old. I have spoken Spanish as long as my native tongue, English.
I am a retired kindergartenelementary teacher with a master’s degree in bilingual education.
I taught bilingual classes for several years. We had no texts, no manuals, but we were ordered to teach a full curriculum.
One summer, the kindergarten teachers and I worked at San Benito to compile and write a couple of manuals for math and science lessons for the bilingual classes at Fred Booth Elementary.
This was using bilingual money and the supervisors said it was organized professionally and “just what we need.”
I think it was published so it was available to other groups.
Those are my qualifications to “say my piece.” Back to the kids – I knew many of them, had them in my classes.
Here is my description of a typical youth in this category.
• Cannot remember every living in Mexico
• Speaks limited Spanish
• Accustomed to U.S. social, economic, political environments
• Looks at English TV, radio, sports, etc.
• Usually very intelligent
• Likelihood of becoming a successful, contributing member of U.S. society as an adult.
If such a child is summarily deported what will the outcome for that youth?
• Will never fit into surroundings or groups
• Soon despair will take over – original plans gone
• Chance of getting involved with some sort of illegal activity (cartels and local gangs)
• Loss of society of a probably contributing member – perhaps someone who might in some way help Mexico advance into modern times.
If we in the USA do not use a measure of Christian compassion and common sense to deal with these children, we will be the losers as they are.
I beg readers of this letter to contact your Congressional members and help stop the deportation of these youth.
If we let bigoted, narrow-minded attitudes win out in this problem, everyone will be the loser.
Sincerely, Zora Mildred Bennett
Fort Wortharol Allbee
