Blog Post 3 - ESL

I think it’s absolutely necessary for community colleges to teach ESL. Not only are immigrants a vital part of American society, the increased opportunities for immigrants have been one of the main ways this country has historically been set apart from others. When the Pilgrims first came to America in 1620, many of them came with the idea that the New World would provide a better future for their children. How is this different from the immigrants of today? If we do away with ESL, we’ll be turning our back on American history.

Although most community college’s mission statements don’t explicitly align with a lot of immigrant’s goals, I believe that they apply implicitly. For example, Chabot’s mission statement reads that the college “prepares students to succeed in their education, progress in the workplace, and engage in the civic and cultural life of the global community”. But what does this mean? Once an immigrant learns to speak English, there are so many doors that open up. Although their goal might be to learn English to be able to talk to the child’s school teacher, the ability to communicate clearly will help in making better economic, political, and social choices. Indeed, as the movie states, “you can just say I want to help my first grader read her books, but then you start catching the environment … it really does transfer into something more."

Just as Lyndon B. Johnson once aptly said, “The land flourished because it was fed from so many sources—because it was nourished by so many cultures and traditions and peoples”. This nation was founded on the idea that it would be a place where immigrants could come to carve out a better life for themselves. These immigrants deserve a fighting chance to learn English, find good jobs, and become productive members of society. ESL helps them get there. Just as the movie mentions, “the American dream is not only to be here living and to be called an American; we’re all humans and we all deserve a chance in life.” Although the economy is still going through an admittedly tough time, we should not cut ESL classes; we should not take away the life-blood of so many people who only want to succeed as American people. As one woman in the movie said, “it’s so hard for me to reach my goal, but that’s not a reason to give up.”