Illegal immigration has been a sore subject in the United States for years, even decades. Particularly, when the economy is not doing well, Americans that are out of work, fear for their jobs, or have family and loved ones who are tend to, and may have a right to blame illegal immigration as part of the problem. Political figures have risen and fallen in the eyes of their constituents based on their stance on how the illegal immigration problem should be handled. Words like amnesty have become familiar within the proposed solutions and have been a lightening rod for those who oppose any measure taken to fight illegal immigration that doesn’t involve rounding all of “them” up and sending them home. I wonder though, other than the economic concerns, particularly in states that border Mexico, how much of the anger over illegal immigration is actually out of White’s fear that they are rapidly losing grasp of what they believe America is, has always been and should forever be. How much of the anger is simply based on race. Ask someone you know who is a fierce proponent of immigration law their opinion on whether English should be officially made the language of the United States constitutionally. Most likely, the answer will be a sharp, decisive, and demanding, “YES!” I however, regardless of immigration problems and policies feel that we as Americans need to recognize the ever changing shape of the racial and cultural make up of our country. It is a fact that in mere decades, whites will no longer make up the majority of the United States Population, and this does not include the undocumented residents. Knowing this, should we as responsible parents advocate that our children are taught to become as fluent in Spanish as they are in English beginning in Kindergarten?



