How Does English-Only Affect Students?

The United States of America is a country beaming with individuals with diverse cultures, religions, values and languages. Despite this diversity, a sense of cultural division and indirect assimilation is still present in some aspects. An example of an area where some cultural division is visible is at schools where the English-Only law, the rule that requires students to communicate using English only, is implemented. Given the fact that children of different backgrounds populate schools, this rule has many negative effects towards students, especially those who are immigrants or do not know how to speak in English. Although many students are diverse, the“English-Only” rule affects students by promoting racism, disvalue of culture, and reduced …show more content…
Establishing the English-only rule creates an environment of disguised segregation, racism and bias individuals. When students are exposed to the rule of hindering fellow schoolmates from communicating in the native tongue, they obtain a mindset that English is the superior language that everyone should respect. As a result, they are at risk of becoming racist towards people in their community. In the article Capitalism, Class, and the Dominant Matrix, Cherie Morgada addresses the idea of perception and its relationship with being bias. According to Morgada, “Perceptions are difficult to control, however, because people tend to assume that they can identify characteristics such as race and gender simply by looking at someone. We routinely form a quick impression of race, gender, sexual orientation or disability status. Sometimes these impressions are based on blanket assumptions” (Morgada, 16). With regards to the English policy, the article English-Only Movement: Its Consequences on the Education of Language Minority Children, connects to the idea of bias and its effects on students in schools. Mei-Yu Lu emphasizes the consequences of keeping the