The History of Dual-Language Bilingual Education in New York City

• In Event: 29.055 - Dual-Language Education and the Promise of Equal Educational Opportunity

Abstract

In the past two decades, bilingual education programs of the type named “dual language” have grown throughout the United States. New York City, with its large multilingual population, and especially its numerous Spanish-speakers, has supported bilingual education programs since the early 1970s. In the recent past, what has been called the Multilingual Apple (Authors, 1997) has also jumped on the bandwagon of the movement to implement what are termed “dual language” programs. The press regularly reports on the achievements of these programs and portrays them as an asset for parents, children, communities, and even the nation (see, for example, Harris, 2015a, 2015b). But are these programs always fulfilling their potential? On the one hand, they offer a space to counter monolingual U.S. schooling, and we find examples of successful dual language bilingual education (DLBE) programs in New York City. On the other hand, many times these programs are implemented in ways that, in the long run, work against developing a bilingual American citizenry in the 21st century.
This paper outlines the history of dual language bilingual education programs in New York City (NYC), as well as their present situation. It contextualizes these programs against the backdrop of New York City’s rich history of bilingual education and its present sociolinguistic and sociopolitical landscape. It proposes that reframing “dual language” programs as dual language bilingual education (DLBE) has the potential to empower communities building on the visions Puerto Ricans had for their children in the 1960s and 1970s. But the paper also highlights the tensions that exist between DLBE programs as traditionally defined and today’s NYC multilingual communities, showing how definitions and policies for DLBE which may have served their purpose well at the time have perhaps become dated now. We pay special attention to the ideological nature of language, bilingualism, and education of bilinguals, as we point out the strict interpretations of a DLBE “model” that have prevented it from reaching its potential for the city.
For many schools and communities, the uniform guidelines given by the New York City Department of Education reflect old understandings of language and bilingual education that limit their potential. In this paper, we will show how the advent of DLBE in New York City was reactionary against ESL or transitional programs of the time, and policies for these programs were meant to provide bilingual education programs for the enrichment of all children, without getting mired in the debates over bilingual education of that time period. If dual language bilingual education programs are going to spread and grow throughout the city, some flexibility in implementation guidelines is needed. Furthermore, the programs need to work for children, to educate them deeply and meaningfully; and they need to work for communities, to empower them. Bilingual education of all types must work for all children.

Authors

• Ofelia Garcia, Columbia University

• Patricia Velasco, Queens College - CUNY

• Kate Menken, Queens College and Graduate Center, City University of New York

• Sara Vogel, The City University of New York