Voting With Their Feet

Waving signs and chanting “Education first--No on 227!”, about 200 people marched through downtown Santa Ana on Friday to show opposition to a state ballot initiative that would end bilingual education.

“March, shout so everyone looks at us,” Lisa Gonzales-Solomon encouraged those near her.

“We’re calling it a walk. It’s nothing radical or militant,” said Gonzales-Solomon, one of the organizers of the demonstration and a teacher at Pio Pico Elementary School in Santa Ana. “We’re just concerned about our kids and want to show we’re against 227.”

Police officers directed traffic at large intersections along the route, which started at Flower and Bishop streets and continued 10 blocks to Civic Center Plaza. Several motorists honked in support.

Co-sponsored by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Ron K. Unz, Proposition 227, also known as “English for the Children,” will be on the ballot Tuesday. The initiative seeks to place children with limited English, about 1.4 million statewide, into mainstream classes after about a year of English immersion. With limited exceptions, it would effectively end the practice of teaching in languages other than English.

The initiative would also set aside $50 million a year for 10 years to train English tutors.

A recent Los Angeles Times Poll indicated that two-thirds of Orange County’s registered voters would support Proposition 227.

Some Latino and Asian American activists have endorsed the measure, arguing that it would be a step to overhaul a failing system.

But critics contend that getting rid of native language instruction would leave immigrant students at a severe disadvantage. Others argue that the initiative is racist and anti-immigrant.

Santa Ana Unified School District last month passed a resolution against the initiative.

Miguel Hernandez, one of Friday’s demonstrators, said he does not understand why Proposition 227 has so much support.

“I don’t know why people are against bilingual education. Why the big deal?” asked Hernandez, a Santa Ana resident. “We’re not against English. We’re against Unz.”

Another marcher, Flora San Roman, said that passing Proposition 227 is not the best way to ensure that children learn English.

“I don’t think it applies to children’s needs,” said San Roman, a teacher at Pio Pico Elementary School. “It’s unfair because it gives them little opportunity to feel comfortable in their own languages.”

After the march, the demonstrators were joined by about 50 other educators, parents and children at Civic Center Plaza for a rally and speeches.

Audrey Yamagata-Noji, Santa Ana Unified trustee, told the crowd: “Who’s to say you parents don’t know what’s best for your children? Prop. 227 says you parents don’t matter. And that’s wrong.”

Switching from English to Spanish, she said to the group, “If I can learn Spanish, these kids can learn Spanish too.”