Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago today, New Mexico was the first State to adopt a law that recognizes language and culture are inseparable, that students learn better if they take the language from their kitchen into their classroom. Fifty years ago, my parents helped write and pass the Bilingual Multicultural Education Act so Keres, Tiwa, Tewa, Towa, Dine, Apache, Zuni, Spanish, and ASL would be taught in our schools. Like many New Mexicans, they understood the importance of culturally relevant content. Today, 70 percent of New Mexico school districts have bilingual multicultural instruction. Bilingualism is a treasure. Nearly 22 percent of the U.S. speaks a language other than English at home, and roughly 245 indigenous languages are spoken across the country. Studies have shown that having a second language helps students be better problem solvers, more creative, able to concentrate, and communicate better. ``Que viva nuestra herencia y cultura.'' ``Long live our heritage and culture.'' ____________________”