Friday, May 31, 2002
Anti-English Lobby Beaten Back in CA
California's State Board of Education opted for a stricter interpretation of Proposition 227.
|posted by Jim on 6:16 PM|
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Thursday, May 30, 2002
Impact of the American Language Upon the American Game
Interesting item in the Sporting News today: "Sammy Sosa was traded twice before landing with the Cubs. It's hardly a coincidence that his career skyrocketed at about the same time his English skills flourished.
"That's why we make a point of wanting these kids to learn English early on," said Expos general manager Omar Minaya, who was born in the Dominican Republic but grew up in the U.S. "I especially realize what a shock it is to come to this country and not understand a single word being said. It's frustrating and depressing."
|posted by Jim on 9:34 PM|
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Tuesday, May 28, 2002
PC Crowd Blasts Star Wars
Over the Memorial Day holiday, National Review Online ran my article, "The PC Force."
|posted by Jim on 12:12 PM|
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Wednesday, May 22, 2002
A Personal Note
I will be attending a special college graduation on May 23rd, so expect no updates that day. If you are finding this section useful, or have some suggestions for me, please drop me a line at feedback@englishfirst.org. "English First News and Updates" at its best is a conversation. And to all of you who have written already, thank you.
|posted by Jim on 11:37 PM|
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Dogs That Do Not Bark
Sherlock Holmes solved a case because a dog did not bark. There is something equally remarkable about the Zita Wilensky case: no one is eager to say that Miami-Dade did the right thing.
Case in point: I have done a lot of interviews on this topic. And only once have I had an opponent. A Cuban-American joined me for a debate in Washington, D.C., last Monday night. He seemed to think we were discussing the topic of Spanish-language services. I described the Zita Wilensky case and asked him, point blank, if he thought Zita should have been fired. He said "no." Miami-Dade take note.
|posted by Jim on 11:30 PM|
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Clinton's Unjust Justice Department
Yesterday's Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on the Department of Justice's Office of Civil Rights featured Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) explaining that Bill Lann Lee, who ran this office (illegally) during the Clinton years, was usurping Congress's power to make laws. Sessions listed some specific examples, but unfortunately Bill Lann Lee's worst abomination, E.O. 13166 was not one of them.
|posted by Jim on 11:10 PM|
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So What's Up With Zita?
Lots of e-mails asking for a update on Zita Wilensky, the Miami government employee fired after 16 years of service for not learning Spanish. I am working on a longer update, which will be e-mailed Monday. The short answer is that Zita is standing strong despite the smear campaign launched against her. She was on FOX News several times yesterday. The reporter noted that while Miami-Dade had bad things to say about her work (but they wouldn't go on camera to say them), he had looked at her reviews. Those reviews consistently showed Zita to be a good, if not outstanding employee.
Zita and her attorney did an interview in Los Angeles Sunday night which I also joined. She has a good case and Miami-Dade is running scared. Please keep those faxes and e-mails coming to the Mayor of Miami and the Miami Chamber of Commerce. We need to win this one. Not just for Zita, but for her husband and two small children too. The Wilensky's deserve to have their lives back.
|posted by Jim on 11:04 PM|
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Monday, May 20, 2002
Washington Times Mentions Zita Wilensky Today
"Spanish Language Joins U.S. Culture".
|posted by Jim on 6:37 PM|
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Zita Wilensky on the Air
Zita Wilensky, the Miami woman fired after 16 years of service for not learning Spanish, will be on the air in Chicago at 11:00 A.M. I will be debating the case on WMAL-AM in Washington D.C. tonight at 10:00 p.m. and tomorrow morning on the One-Eyed Jack Show in Springfield, IL at 8:30 a.m. (All times listed are Eastern).
|posted by Jim on 6:33 PM|
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Friday, May 17, 2002
Miami-Dade Fights Back with Spam
Someone should really tell Miami-Dade it is poor e-mail etiquette to send e-mails with unsoliticited large attached files. They e-mailed me a copy of their response on Zita Wilensky -- a response which nearly choked my 56K dial-up connection yesterday. A link in the e-mail to the letter in question would have been better. Of course, the right thing for Miami-Dade to do is stop smearing Zita and give her her job back.
|posted by Jim on 4:40 PM|
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"When in Rome"
George Putnam's column on Zita Wilensky is must reading.
|posted by Jim on 4:31 PM|
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Wednesday, May 15, 2002
Multicultural History Mess
Do you think students should know more about world history? The Christian Science Monitor thinks so. Unfortuantely, it looks like just another propaganda opportunity for the usual suspects: "One lecture detailed how the ethnic divide between Hutus and Tutsis in Burundi had roots in colonialization by Western countries such as Belgium."
In addition history lessons are to vary based upon the student's skin color: "European history no longer reflects students' ancestry as much," says Patrick Manning, director of the World History Center at Northeastern University in Boston.
|posted by Jim on 9:06 AM|
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North Carolina Gets the Idea
According to the Raleigh News & Observer, the state is debating the creation of a separate license for teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL).
The interesting thing about the proposal is that it would eliminate the requirement that prospective ESL teachers must first complete the state's traditional certification program and only then take an additional year of ESL training.
Most studies of college teacher training programs have found them fat with Mickey-Mouse methodology courses and "diversity" indoctrination sessions and noticeably weak on academic content. Should North Carolina choose to spare ESL teachers some of this expensive makework prior to entering a classroom, it may start a trend.
|posted by Jim on 8:54 AM|
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Tuesday, May 14, 2002
AP Story on Increase in Spanish Speakers: Classic Case of Media Bias
The Census Bureau announced today a substantial an increase in the number of Spanish speakers in the United States. The Associated Press reporter who covered the story knew exactly what must be done:
"For some small communities in Indiana and Oregon . . .that means local governments struggling to break down language barriers to meet the needs of their newest residents. . . . Already, many city workers are required to know more than one language."
Why is it the government's job to "break down language barriers" and only "city workers" rather than, say, Spanish-speaking immigrants, who must learn another language? Evidently because the reporter, Genaro C. Armas, thinks so.
While, his story contains quotes from both the National Council of La Raza and the Illinois-based Immigration Project, it does not quote a single advocate of assimilation, let alone any advocate of official English.
|posted by Jim on 4:23 PM|
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Saturday, May 11, 2002
No Suprise: Miami-Dade Blasts Zita Wilensky Today
The Miami Herald today carries a short article which rakes Zita Wilensky over the coals. Did anyone expect the Miami-Dade government officials who fired Wilensky for failing to learn Spanish in 60 days to just roll over and play dead?
Readers of Michael Crichton's books, Rising Sun and Disclosure will recognize what is happening to Wilensky in today's Miami Herald: those who challenge the system can expect the system to bite back. Hard.
The system goes over that person's work record with a microscope, in order to "prove" the person was a bad worker, a liar and someone who cannot be trusted.
Or as the spokeswoman for the court department that once employed Zita Wilensky put it: "Everything she says is absolutely not true."
It takes a brave and determined person to fight an injustice done to her, knowing that her life will be dissected in the newspapers.
The article quotes me as saying "We're proud to stand by her." That quote was true yesterday when the reporter interviewed me and it remains true today.
The harshness of Miami-Dade's attack on Wilensky also tells me your e-mails and faxes are working. Keep them coming and encourage others to contact Miami-Dade county. We can win.
Zita Wilensky has done her part. Now you and I must do ours.
|posted by Jim on 9:36 AM|
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Terrorist Truckers?
A report by the Transportation Department's inspector general found that "Existing federal standards and state controls are not sufficient to defend against the alarming threat" posed by individuals who seek to fraudulently obtain commercial driver's [CDL] licenses. Many states do not require applicants to prove they live in the state, do not verify Social Security numbers and do not give tests to prove whether a driver can read and speak English, the report said.
This was not news to those who read my article on this topic last year for National Review Online.
|posted by Jim on 2:39 AM|
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Friday, May 10, 2002
Even Learning Spanish May Not Be Enough in Miami
Another e-mail:
"This had also happened to a friend of mine who applied for a job in Miami and was told he had to speak Spanish. Well, he went to school to learn Spanish and then went back to that same job and was told it had to be Cuban Spanish which was different."
There are real differences between Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Mexican Spanish. So even if Zita Wilensky was allowed to finish her Spanish classes, she still may have had trouble understanding some callers, just as a speaker of Cuban Spanish might have with an upset speaker of Puerto Rican Spanish who called the Miami-Dade Domestic Violence Hotline.
|posted by Jim on 6:49 PM|
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Not Everyone Thinks Zita Got A Raw Deal
Just received this e-mail:
"I work in a hotel in Miami Beach and we are booked solid thru 2003. And most of our guest are from Europe, South America, Central America and the Caribbean. 70% of them speak only spanish [sic]. And 100% laughed at your so called 'boycott' when they heard about it on the news. You need to wake up and realize that majority of tourist in Miami are not from the USA but from outside our nation. So good luck with your boycott!
"I gotta go to work, we have a 2000 people attending a South American Dental Convention. And like I speak spanish I make more money that other co-workers that don't. Gee I wonder why?
"Well later chump!
"Good luck with you so called Boycott!"
Another e-mailer was more concerned: "I think a boycott of Miami Dade would hurt a of good people as far as jobs r concerned. Remember that the hospitality industry is still trying to fight back from 9/11, as is our area as a whole."
Miami-Dade County has the power to end the boycott: Rehire Zita Wilensky and make her whole for the shabby treatment she has received. On that day, English First will gladly end the boycott of Miami-Dade County.
|posted by Jim on 6:38 PM|
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Pres. Bush May Go to Miami. Will He Speak Up for Zita Wilensky?
In my article on Zita Wilensky for National Review Online today, I note that there are published reports that President Bush will be visiting Miami soon. I hope either he will speak up for Zita or that Miami-Dade will made the President's involvement unnecessary by reemploying and compensating Zita prior to his visit.
|posted by Jim on 1:27 PM|
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Miami Mayor "Flooded" With Letters, E-Mails
Today's Miami Herald reports: "A North Miami woman's claims that she was fired from her county courts job for not speaking Spanish has prompted a call for a boycott by a pro-English lobbying group -- and flooded Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas' office with letters and e-mails."
If you haven't yet sent your letter or e-mail (or want to encourage your friends to weigh in on this unjust treatment of an American citizen, this alert has all the information you need.
|posted by Jim on 1:21 PM|
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Thursday, May 09, 2002
Is the Glass Half Empty or Half Full?
Thanks to Noy Thrupkaew's American Prospect story "A Dollar Short", we learn that the Bush 2003 education budget, which offered no increase in bilingual education spending, means "25,000 [students] will be deprived of bilingual education." At English First, we call that a good first step.
|posted by Jim on 11:33 PM|
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Kausfiles Blasts Bilingual Ed. Lobby
Want to take a break from our round-the-clock Zita Wilensky coverage? Visit Kausfiles and scroll down to "Has Unz Won?" Mickey Kaus detects a bit of media bias in the LA Times coverage of the latest round of test results, results which show English immersion is working in CA while bilingual education is not:
it didn't stop the LAT from writing a semi-subtly slanted subhead that takes the bilingualists side: "Advocates credit immersion classes, but educators say exam's first year means little." [emphasis added] ...
|posted by Jim on 11:22 PM|
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My Bad: No Zita on FOX News
Zita Wilensky did not appear on "Hannity and Colmes" tonight after all. Perhaps she will be on another night. I am reminded that, unlike us Washingtonians (and Northern Virginians) who will crawl over broken glass to be on TV, most Americans do not relish the spotlight. One more reminder that we are dealing with a real person who deserves to have her job and her life back.
|posted by Jim on 11:13 PM|
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Cause and Effect?
Zita Wilensky, the Miami government worker who was fired for not learning Spanish, is scheduled to be interviewed on Fox New's "Hannity and Colmes" tonight. Program begins at 9:00 PM EDT. Don't know when her portion of the program will air.
|posted by Jim on 5:46 PM|
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Could Bill O'Reilly or Alan Keyes Follow?
Spanish professor and English First supporter A. Mullies writes "Is there any way Zita's case can be brought to the attention of major media networks, viz. Bill O'Reilly, A. Keyes, etc?" Dr. Mullies has e-mailed both of these popular talk show hosts and others have done the same.
|posted by Jim on 8:57 AM|
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National Review Takes Up Zita's Cause
National Review's John Miller encourages people to contact Miami government officials in order to get Zita Wilensky rehired.
|posted by Jim on 8:50 AM|
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Wednesday, May 08, 2002
EF: Boycott Miami-Dade Until Zita Rehired
English First has called for a boycott of Miami-Dade county until Zita Wilensky, who was fired for failing to learn Spanish, is rehired.
|posted by Jim on 10:43 PM|
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It Takes a Woman
Zita Wilensky has taken the risk of exposing blatant discrimination against English speakers by the Miami-Dade government. In 1996, Jewell Elghazali exposed an English testing fraud scheme at considerable risk to both her career and her life. Both women are true American heroes.
|posted by Jim on 9:26 AM|
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English Exam Fraud Scheme Exposed
The Washington Times reports today that "56 Foreigners arrested in proficiency-test scam." The scheme involved students from "Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Washington state as well as the District and Virginia."
This wasn't the only English-test scam that began during the Clinton era. Remember Citizenship USA:
[The book] Sell Out also includes an appendix of documents which demonstrates Al Gore's direct involvement in turning Citizenship USA into "a pro-Democrat voter mill" in which English tests were waived and criminal records of prospective citizens swept under the rug in places such as New York City, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, and Newark. Each of these cities was located in a key battleground state during the 1996 presidential election.) Ultimately, over 1 million new citizens were naturalized in time to vote for Clinton-Gore in 1996.
Rampant English testing fraud among applicants for U.S. citizenship was first exposed in 1996, thanks to the efforts of one brave woman:
One contractor, the Naturalization Assistance Service (NAS), conducted an estimated 200,000 tests annually. A NAS test was effectively a multiple-choice exam with test takers also asked to write a mere two sentences in English. Just one of those two sentences need be correct. Yet as ABC's 20/20 reported in 1996, the NAS English test was still too onerous
for many of the people who paid to be in a NAS classroom.
A concerned NAS employee, Jewell Elghazali, complained that large batches of tests were written in identical handwriting. Ms. Elghazali was fired. Just how many more forged tests were transformed into certificates of English competence? No one will ever know.
|posted by Jim on 9:18 AM|
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Tuesday, May 07, 2002
Best Letter Today on Zita Wilensky
Charles J O'Connell sent the following e-mail to Miami Mayor Penelas today. I hope you enjoy his brief, yet eloquent, letter as much as I did:
I find it reprehensible that any organization, especially a government agency here in the United States would fire an employee for not learning a FOREIGN LANGUAGE at the demand of a supervisor! Having put my life on the line for this country while serving in the military, I can only ask, where is the loyalty of a supervisor who would commit such as outrageous act. Justice, fairness and patriotism demands that you see that Ms. Wilensky be reinstated and compensated; and that the supervisor be FIRED!
|posted by Jim on 11:52 PM|
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NewsMax.com Takes Up FL Worker's Cause
Today's NewsMax.com carries an article on Zita Wilensky's unjust firing.
|posted by Jim on 11:18 PM|
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Paul Harvey Correction
Apologies to all who went to Paul Harvey's website for mention of the FL worker firing. While two sources told me he mentioned the case, it is not on either of the programs available for RealAudio downloading. My bad.
|posted by Jim on 11:14 PM|
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Back from the TV Studio
Lots of calls to the News Channel 8 TV program -- every one of them in favor of official English. The only disagreement came from (surprise) the host of the show.
|posted by Jim on 5:15 PM|
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Barry Farber Fans
I am scheduled to discuss the Zita Wilensky case on Barry Farber's New York radio show today at 6:35 p.m.
|posted by Jim on 2:47 PM|
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Attention Omaha, Nebraska
I will be discussing the Zita Wilensky case on Omaha, Nebraska's KFAB radio (1110 AM) on Wednesday, May 8th at 7:15 Central time.
|posted by Jim on 2:44 PM|
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Paul Harvey Talks Up Zita Wilensky Today
I was just told that Paul Harvey, the dean of America's newscasters, discussed Zita Wilensky on his noon program. You can hear the entire program in RealAudio format at paulharvey.com.
|posted by Jim on 2:40 PM|
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"Catch 22 on Language"
An article I wrote for National Review Online last November, "Catch-22 on Language" has some relevance to the Zita Wilensky firing. (Note: link moved to the WSVN archives this morning).
One company, now bankrupt, lost a $700,000 lawsuit over its requirement that employees speak only English on the job. A college in Texas was docked $2.44 million last year for its English-only policy. Miami-Dade's Spanish-only policy for its employees could cost it serious money.
|posted by Jim on 2:29 PM|
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Media Notes
I will be discussing the Zita Wilensky firing today on News Channel 8, a Washington D.C. area cable news network, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time (if they do a webcast, I will post a link). On Wednesday, May 8th, I am scheduled to discuss the case on WELI in New Haven, CT from 4:10-4:30 p.m.
|posted by Jim on 2:02 PM|
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Welcome Readers of National Review Online
National Review Online's The Corner carries an item today on Zita Wilensky's unjust firing for failing to learn Spanish in 60 days after 16 years on the job.
"Corner" readers who would like to contact the Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Alex Penelas, to demand Zita's reinstatement can do so by e-mail at mayor@miamidade.gov or by fax at (305) 375-3618. The Mayor's mailing address is: Office of the Mayor, Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 N.W. 1st Street, 29th Floor, Miami, Florida 33128. If you would prefer to call Mayor Penelas, his telephone number is (305) 375-5071.
You might say: "Zita Wilensky was unfairly treated by her boss and unjustly fired. Please see to it that she is rehired and properly compensated."
|posted by Jim on 1:57 PM|
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Monday, May 06, 2002
Interview on the Wilensky Firing Now Available
An interview with me on Zita Wilensky firing for failing to learn Spanish is now up on the FCF News on Demand web page.
|posted by Jim on 5:15 PM|
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A Supporter of the Miami Government's Language Policy Responds
Joaquin Rodriguez, Ph. D., writes: "It is unfortunate that Ms. Wilensky was not able to meet the needs of a much more diversified and challenging community than we are accustomed to in mainstream "English-only America," and that this inadequacy resulted in her being replaced by someone who is qualified." But even she thought Zita Wilensky should have been transferred, rather than fired: "I think that Ms. Wilensky can be better served in a job where her qualifications are more compatible with her responsibilities."
|posted by Jim on 4:58 PM|
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Reaction to FL Government Worker Fired
Dr. Milton Kamsler throughly summed up the issue in his letter to the Mayor of Miami, Alex Penelas:
If a job requires one to speak a foreign language in order to interface with foreigners in order to conduct business, certainly a new hire could be required to speak that particular foreign language, but to be fired from a job of 16 years because a new requirement to speak a foreign language is evidence of gross discrimination. . . .
While it is to be hoped that a government employee would, if possible, assist by speaking a foreign language or other methodology to improve communication, unless specifically hired on that basis, should certainly not be ousted from her/his job because of inability to speak a foreign language.
|posted by Jim on 4:51 PM|
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FL Government Worker Fired for Not Learning Spanish
Miami's WSVN-TV carried a story last week on how a government employee, Zita Wilensky, was fired for failing to learn Spanish. During her time as an employee of the Miami-Dade Domestic Violence Unit, "I was referred to as the gringa, the Americana." She was told she had to speak Spanish in the office and given 60 days to learn. After 30 days her boss disguised her voice and called her. According to a county document, Zita was fired for transferring the call to the clerk's office.
Despite Zita's protests, after 16 years with the county, she was fired and replaced by a Hispanic. Miami-Dade County officials deny Zita was fired because she was an Anglo and deny she was required to speak Spanish. Her boss just requested that she learn Spanish. But Zita has a letter from her boss which says it's a necessity that she speaks Spanish.
You can to demand Zita Wilensky be rehired by contacting the Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Alex Penelas, by e-mail at mayor@miamidade.gov or by fax at (305) 375-3618. His mailing address is: Office of the Mayor, Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 N.W. 1st Street, 29th Floor, Miami, Florida 33128. If you would prefer to call Mayor Penelas, his telephone number is (305) 375-5071.
You might say: "Zita Wilensky was unfairly treated by her boss and unjustly fired. Please see to it that she is rehired and properly compensated."
|posted by Jim on 12:20 PM|
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Friday, May 03, 2002
News Flash: English Immersion Works Best
"Students in immersion programs were nearly three times as likely to score in the advanced or early advanced categories as students in bilingual programs," the Los Angeles Times reported on May 1st. Ron Unz, the author of California's 1998 bilingual education reform, had this to say about the test results via an e-mail letter:
Consider that we have now discovered---all our educational expectations to the contrary---that children taught English by being taught in English will learn English much faster than children taught English by being taught in Spanish, or even Swahili. I am currently awaiting a call from the Nobel Prize Selection Committee of the Swedish Academy regarding this scientific breakthrough.
|posted by Jim on 12:58 PM|
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