Quote:
Originally Posted by Archaea
I don't know the numbers, but Mexican immigration is culturally different. The focus of Mexican culture is different than the focus of Chinese, German, Irish or Italian.
Although Mexican children who are in the school district do learn English, they don't do well in school, generally, not specifically. The Mexican culture, unlike past countries and cultures emphasizing education, does not emphasize education and assimilation to the same degree previous generations of immigrants. I make this assumption based on my own anecdotal evidence and if it can be disproven, then I'll stand corrected. This does not address what individual families do.
I am familiar with test scores at our school, and the immigrants do lower the test scores.
I am also familiar with the attitudes of some past immigrants, where the mother language was NOT spoken in the home to force the children to learn good English. The difference in performance stems from a difference in attitude created by the difference in the Mexican culture, which has never harbored the same interest in education that China, Japan, Korea, Germany, England or Italy have held.
Look at the entire history of Mexico post-Columbian era, and where has there been an emphasis in Mexican culture on education? I'm not intimate with all the details, but generally I'm not aware of such an emphasis across the board. Wealthy Mexicans may have a different emphasis by wanting to be wealthy. The Mexican culture is different and its differences contribute to difficulties in assimilation.
|
I came to this country from Taiwan when I was 6, and my parents spoke English to me so I could catch up in school. But I can tell you this:
*Assimilation for the 2nd generation is natural if you follow the path of least resistance.
*I commend Latinos for their better track record of preserving their language/culture compared to Asians. Being cut off from your past is not a good thing (look at African Americans).
*Mexicans may not emphasis education as much, but they do have high levels of entrepreneurship. Don't neglect all the good they bring.