The "English for the Children" initiative campaign led by maverick California Republican Ron K. Unz has received enough signatures on its petitions to gain a place on the ballot this June. Unz confidently predicts passage of the measure by California voters. "Reduced to a single sentence," says Unz, "our initiative would simply ensure that all the little immigrant children in California are sent to school and taught English so that they can become successful members of American society."
And not just immigrant children, apparently. In Oakland, as K. L. Billingsley reports in the Washington Times, a Mr. George Louie is now suing the school board for placing his 5-year-old son Travell in a class being conducted in Chinese. "I stayed in class 45 minutes and no English was spoken," Mr. Louie said.
The principal of Lincoln Elementary School, Wendy Lee, pointed a finger at the feds. She said that "90 percent of the students are Asian and 90 percent of those are Chinese. By a consent decree with the Office of Civil Rights [of the U.S. Department of Education], all my classes have to be bilingual." But in any case, Ms. Lee went on to insist, young Travell Louie "is being well served."
George Louie is not appeased. His son "says the Chinese kids are making fun of him in Chinese." And isn't learning anything. Mr. Louie is supporting " English for the Children."