En busca de una educación equitativa: La implementación de políticas lingüísticas y culturales estadounidenses

Abstract

In the history of the United States, education that is not relevant to the dominant culture, has not been valued (and oftentimes even devalued). The U.S. policies of assimilation in education, tried to dissuade students from maintaining their language and culture. Many of the students who do not speak English as their first language, have been pushed to conform to the imposed mono-cultural rules and, implicitly, have been asked to forget their cultures. This paper exposes the historical context of formal and informal education policies that facilitated the first efforts to provide equitable education, and the policies that have dismantled these efforts. Unfortunately, the efforts and goals achieved thus far, in many cases have not helped improve the education of students who are learning English as a second language. Specifically, this paper focuses on the impact, consequences, and current status of the No Child Left Behind Act.