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Luis Barrientos
Mrs. Hensel
English IV
12 November 2015
Proposition 227
The controversial California Proposition 227, a law that was successfully passed, bars the
rights of Spanish speaking residents from speaking their native language in a school environment
and greatly harms Latino individuals. It became evident that the only reason for this law was to
place restriction on potential bilingual students which caused opposers for this law to quickly
form in California schools. Unfortunately, since Proposition 227 was passed, Spanish speaking
residents have been negatively impacted by being ineffectively assessed on their English skills,
losing the ability to communicate in their native language, and weakening bilingual skills for
future generations.
When Proposition 227 passed, the only practical way to assess the English skills of a
native Spanish speaker was by using standardized tests. Being limited to only these types of
assessments, the true skills of English learning students becomes unable to be efficiently
measured. Ron Unz, at the time being the Chairman of the organization, English for Children,
which supports Proposition 227, claimed that state standardized test scores, from 1998 to 2002improved for English-learners after Prop. 227 passed (Sifuentes). If the purpose is to only teach
English learners short term skills that will only improve their test scores while they are in school,
then the Proposition was a wild success. Although, what many English learners actually need and
want are English skills that will stay with them throughout their entire lives which is something
that Mr. Unz cannot understand if he just simply thinks that improving test scores from

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individuals is okay (Sifuentes). Many experts like Stephen Krashen, Professor at the University
of Southern California, argues that standardized test scores are a poor way to judge whether a
teaching method works (Sifuentes), making data from rising test scores that much more
unreliable. However, questions continue to surround which instructional method, (bilingual
assimilation or immersion) is best to teach English learners. When research was conducted to
find out which method was best, the outcomes showed that when you place students in a
bilingual class or an immersion class, students who attended the bilingual one managed to gain
more English understanding than the ones who did not, further confirming why Proposition 227
was a big mistake (Sifuentes).
Communication skills for Latino individuals to speak in their native languages is being
dramatically replaced with English. Once the Proposition came into effect it became expected for
native Spanish speakers to leave behind their former language and communicate in English only,
or otherwise be branded with a misconception of refusing to learn English. Within the
Proposition itself a main requirement was for all public school instruction be conducted in
English (Proposition 227), leaving no further room for students to advance their Spanish skills.
Students with little to no English skills were not to be left out from having their native language
ripped away. Students with insufficient English skills are placed in alternative short term
program that puts them in a completely sheltered English immersion environment (Proposition
227). For many cases once students undergo the immersion process in school after they graduate
they are put in a disadvantage losing the bilingual ability they once had. This outcome is not an
isolated event millions of Spanish-speaking immigrant students lost the opportunity to learn or
retain valuable literacy skills in Spanish while they acquired English (Carter), they not only lose
the ability to retain their Spanish skills but they are losing opportunities that may have allowed

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them to gain positions of higher income. This Proposition goes against the very idea of school.
This means that when a student attends school he/she does not have to be forced to forget
everything they know about History class in order to do well in Science, so it should not be
expected of a Spanish speaker to give up their native language in order to survive in an American
school. However, students in California have already experienced going to school and leaving
without their ability to read or write in Spanish and as a result a large portion of their heritage
and culture was lost (Carter).
With the loss of the Spanish language for Latinos the current generations are not the only
ones who will be affected by a catastrophic change like this one. The future generations of
Spanish speakers will be affected just as badly by this restrictive law. Although, much more than
just the social lives of people will be affected by the Proposition, other aspects of life will also be
changed including the economy since in just the sixteen years since the measure was approved,
California has largely squandered one of its most valuable economic resources (Carter).
Knowing this makes bringing back bilingual education that much more important, because once
bilingual education in Californias schools disappeared many of the opportunities that came with
being a bilingual quickly followed (Carter). Many times such an outcome is not thought of since
a large portion of people in America have no personal ties with what goes on in the Spanish
community and are often misinformed that the Spanish language in America can not be lost and
think language can be acquired just by receiving enough inputs- that hearing mom and dad
speaking Spanish is enough (Carter). This of course is not the case, mainly because as a result
of the Proposition, as generations pass parents will not even have the skills to speak Spanish to
their children. Finally, the idea behind Proposition 227 of English immersion ends up only
hurting the students that it claims to help. Evidence has been found showing that students who

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are not allowed to use their native language from home become negatively impacted when trying
to achieve literary skills in English (Carter).
In conclusion, Proposition 227, a law based on some peoples own xenophobia has
deeply hurt the Latino population. It is clear that Proposition 227 has been inefficient and the
best way to deal with it is by getting it repealed immediately. The opportunities and advantages
that bilingual individuals once had, has been taken away from them. If this ban on Spanish in
California or in any other state continues then the only unfortunate outcome that can occur is for
Spanish to be another language that has been rejected and forgotten by American culture.

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Works Cited
Carter, Phillip M. "Bilingual Education Ban in California to Be Repealed - CNN.com." CNN.
Cable News Network, 4 Mar. 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.
"Proposition 227: English Language In Public Schools. - California State Government."
Proposition 227: English Language In Public Schools. - California State Government.
League of Women Voters of California, 17 June 1998. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
Sifuentes, Edward. "Proposition 227: 10 Years Later." The San Diego Union-Tribune. The San
Diego Union-Tribune. 8 November 2008. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.