Since language is a means of communication and the reproduction of a collective identity, language rights are difficult to define and defend as individual rights. Therefore, we must argue that there are collective linguistic rights at stake in the battle against 227 and 203 that must gain legal recognition and protection under our Constitution. Realities of Bilingualism The reality of bilingualism is contrary to the myth of English-only. Most bilingual individuals live very comfortably within their different cultural milieus, without conflicts or stress. In fact, they experience an enriched lifestyle that incorporates diverse customs and traditions.
Bilingual educators are individuals who have achieved the benefits of two languages and cultures .
They are professionals who have achieved high levels of status in American society, benefiting from the diversity in their backgrounds. Their language skills and cultural knowledge should be valued rather than denigrated in these times of diversity and change in the demographic make-up of California. This is especially compelling when we consider the fact that Spanish is the third most widely spoken language in the world . Spanish is spoken in 28 countries and the United States has the sixth largest Spanish-speaking population of any country in the world. In reality, bilingualism is growing because of strong economic and cultural factors that are far beyond the scope of the public schools.