Happy
Cinco de Mayo
FROM THE PRESIDENT
This inaugural issue of the AACHE Newsletter on www.aache.org represents a new direction for disseminating news about our organization. Also changing with the times, our AACHE statewide listserv AACHECON@ASUVM.INRE.ASU.EDU, which serves as a forum for discussing emerging policy issues, has been shortened to AACHECON@ASU.EDU. Please contact Dr. Jesus Treviño via email: Jesus.Trevino@ASU.edu if you wish to be added to this listserv.
Reaffirming our commitment to student leadership development, AACHE was a sponsor of the National MEChA Conference which was held on April 18-20th at Phoenix College. Recognized for his leadership, President Raúl Cardenas was appointed acting Chancellor of the Maricopa Colleges. An honorary doctorate will be bestowed on Mr. Raúl Yzaguirre at Arizona State University commencement ceremonies. Dr. Cleopatria Martínez is coordinating the efforts of the AACHE ABOR Committee, which is composing a short list of distinguished Arizona citizens to be submitted to Governor Hull before she appoints the next member of the Arizona Board of Regents. Active in promoting Bilingual Education for our students in the public schools, AACHE met wit the Arizona legislative leadership.
However, the Arizona Republic was able to derail this AACHE initiative through a well executed misinformation campaign. To counter the negative coverage by the Arizona Republic, I encourage responsible news organizations to increase news coverage in our community. Every year AACHE offers scholarships to deserving students. Scholarship applications are due May 30, 1999. In the weeks to come, articles will be forthcoming on AACHE's partnerships with Corporate America. Please mark your calendar for the forthcoming AACHE Conference at ASU set for November 5th and 6th, 1999. The reported accounts suggest that our membership will continue to engage in public service, teaching, and research at an exemplary level.
Ernesto Gonzales Escobedo,
AACHE President
THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC: AN OPPRESSIVE INSTITUTION
by
Ernesto Gonzáles Escobedo
Commemorating the military victory in Mexico on May 5, 1862, Cinco de Mayo symbolizes the struggle of the Mexican-American community against oppressive institutions. Representative of these institutions, the Arizona Republic consistently assails the language, values, and legacy of the Hispanic community of Arizona. Protected by the First Amendment, this newspaper has published about eleven anti Bilingual Education and eight anti affirmative action articles. Balanced reporting is not one of the Arizona Republic's institutional values.
Unfortunately, the Arizona Republic influences public policy at the state level. For example, by spreading misinformation on Bilingual Education, the newspaper was able to defeat passage of SB1001, the Bilingual Education Reform bill. The Arizona Republic has diminished the effectiveness of educational programs for students whose first language is not English, which in turn will reduce their career choices. The point person for the Arizona Republic is Rubén Navarrete Jr. who writes extensively on Bilingual Education and affirmative action.
At a public forum Senator Joe Eddie López proposed legislation to improve the educational programs of students in the public schools. Drs. Thomas and Collier presented longitudinal research indicating that Bilingual Education is effective for students whose primary language is not English. Present at this forum, Navarrete never questioned the research design and methods, but instead raised questions as to whether parents wanted their children in Bilingual Education classes. Seemingly, he was more interested in creating controversy than addressing the substantial issues related to the effectiveness of Bilingual Education.
Navarrette also wrote a highly damaging article on César Chávez, which does not accurately reflect Mexican-American views. Days before Cinco de Mayo (1977), the Arizona Republic published the article "Por La Causa: Before Chávez is Granted a Halo, Let's Acknowledge his Horns." Written from an extremely subjective view, the Arizona Republic attempted to soil the good name of César Chávez, who distinguished historians consider a noteworthy labor leader. César Chávez will forever be remembered for his dedication to serving farm workers who toil in the agriculture fields of Arizona. Perhaps this is why schools and streets are named after him.
Responsible news organizations should be encouraged
to present a balanced perspective of Chicana/o issues. The time has come
for AACHE to host its own PBS programs
on Latino policy issues. Replicating what the
UA journalism department does with El Independent newspaper, ASU could
sponsor a newspaper which covers Hispanics in Arizona. While Mexican Americans
have limited input into shaping the editorial perspectives of the Arizona
Republic, this Cinco de Mayo AACHE is supporting the petition drive, which
advocates the establishment of a state holiday honoring César
Chávez.
RAUL YZAGUIRRE TO RECEIVE HONORARY DOCTORATE AT ASU
by
Ernesto Gonzáles Escobedo
Of the national Hispanic leaders, Raúl Yzaguirre
has consistently served the public interest of his community. Pictured
on the front page of the leadership edition of HISPANIC
magazine (July 1992), Yzaguirre is acknowledged for his work on policy
issues affecting Latinos. Having observed him exercise leadership over
the years, I was fortunate to have him as a professor when he taught social
policy at Harvard University in 1989.
Arizona State University is honoring a
person who represents Latino interests in the halls of Congress and in
the White House. At the age of thirty-six, Yzaguirre joined NCLR and built
it into a prestigious organization noted for defending the civil rights
of Latinos. He is also a recipient of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Medallion
in recognition of his work in this area. During his tenure as Chairperson
of the White House Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans,
he addressed the continuing under education of Latinos at the national
level. Yzaguirre believes that Bilingual Education is sound education policy.
Respected by United States presidents, Yzaguirre also enjoys the respect
and friendship of President Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico. In 1993, he was
awarded the Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest honor bestowed by the
Republic of Mexico on a non citizen. With his knowledge of public policy,
Yzaguirre should be teaching at an university. Now if we could only convince
him to join the faculty at ASU, NAU,
or the UA ...
The birth of our web page
by
Antonio Arroyo
At the request of our AACHE president, Dr. Ernesto Escobedo, in March 8, 1999, I started looking into the possibility of acquiring our domain name. We wanted to establish an account which would be identified with our acronym. Immediately, I contacted a representative from Global Digital Networks. A company which specializes in providing domains names. By March 12, 1999, we had secured our domain name which would be established as www.aache.org.
I started working on the design of a web page that would represent our organization and at the advice and encouragement from our president, Dr. Escobedo, I came up with what many of you are now familiar. I scanned the AACHE logo and then found a background that represents our state. By March 15, 1999, we had our web page up and running.
Now, I would like to encourage the participation of
our membership to help create a team who would be in charge of re-designing
the web page and of including pertinent and relevant information to our
web page. I hope all of you are finding the information on our web page
useful. And, as I said previously, we are open to suggestions and new ideas.
Bilingual Research Journal Special Issue:
Title VII Retrospective Call for Papers No single
piece of government legislation or litigation has had a greater influence
on the direction of bilingual education in the United States than Title
VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1975. Known commonly
as "Title VII" this legislation has been the funding vehicle for many bilingual
education programs in K-12 throughout the U.S. BRJ will publish a special
issue focusing on the impact Title VII has had on bilingual education from
1968 to 1998, a thirty year retrospective.
The Bilingual Education Act was signed into law in January of 1968. It was to become one of the three most important funding and direction setting forces for contemporary forms of bilingual education along with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Lau v Nichols decision of the United States Supreme Court (1974). In the thirty years following enactment of Title VII, great efforts have been made by scholars, researchers, policy makers, and teachers to create a professional knowledge base for bilingual education. Through the grantmaking strategies it adopted for Title VII, the federal government has influenced the direction of research and practice in subtle and direct ways. Some of these influences have been benign.
History may show that others were less so. Each Commisioner of Education and each Secretary has changed the program somewhat and by so doing has changed the impact it has made. Each succeeding re-authorization by the Congress has emphasized different aspects of the emerging search for a stable knowledge base. Significant changes in the law, its evolution from a small demonstration program to a multi-million dollar funding source, and its impact on state level legislation is what we seek to document. BRJ will publish a special issue documenting these influences and effects so that future policy actors may have the benefit of past successes while avoiding ideas and practices that were less fruitful. Examples of the kinds of submissions solicited include, but are not limited to:
1. Focused literature reviews which synthesize policy research findings related to a particular theory, model, practice, or method of instruction in bilingual education.
2. Well documented case studies showing how bilingual instruction was implemented in a particular classroom, school district, or state as a consequence of Title VII policy guildelines and what alternatives program designss were rejected.
3. Focused study and critique of a specific policy or aspect of Title VII -- teacher education, funded research, litigation, etc. that was heavily influence by Title VII policies either explicit or implicit.
4. Program plans and proposals that documented local or state level attempts to diverge from the guidelines of Title VII and which build on what has been learned during the first 30 years of bilingual education.
5. Biographical and autobiographical narratives that critically examine the role of individuals in the establishment and development of bilingual education. Such narratives should provide insights into thenature of bilingual education, including what went right and what went wrong and why.
Generally authors should follow the submission guidelines available under the "submission" button of the BRJ home page. The guest editor requests that manuscripts be no longer than the equivalent of 15 pages, double spaced, in 12 point type, 8 1/2 by 12 inch paper, with one inch margins all around. Authors should follow the style manual of the American Psychological Association (APA).
In addition, we request that a title page and abstract (not more than one paragraph) be sent as a separate page. On the title page include the full name and address, plus telephone number, FAX number, and email address of the contact person. For papers with multiple authorship designate the lead author as the contact person. Submissions must be based on original work that has not been previously published.
The closing date for receipt of manuscripts is June
1, 1999. All submissions will be peer reviewed. Send manuscripts in care
of the guest editor:
Raymond V. Padilla, Ph.D. Guest Editor, Bilingual
Research Journal Center for Bilingual Education and Research Box 1511 Arizona
State University Tempe, AZ 85287 - 1511
The Guest Editor may be contacted by phone at: (602) 965-8473 Messages and manuscripts may be sent by regular mail or by email to: raymond.padilla@asu.edu.
Webpage: http://www.public.asu.edu/~iacrvp.
