When interpreters aren't available, some St. Helens English-speaking students pair up with an Hispanic student to help them try to understand, Yauchzee said. Some teachers rely on teen-agers to interpret for their parents. R.A. Long Assistant Principal Marshall, who is of Spanish and Puerto Rican ancestry but does not speak Spanish, often uses her own mother as an interpreter when she meets with parents. Lopez called for more Hispanic people to get involved as interpreters. But it is harder for somebody who has spoken another language all their lives to learn.
Many Hispanic parents have more problems with English than their kids.
The difference is that they started learning later in life or don't know where to turn for help. Michelle Garcia, a school district liaison and interpreter, said many immigrants from Mexico come with little and have trouble succeeding because of the language barrier, she said. I am frustrated along with them. Gurrola and other parents are involved in the Linking Education and Parents program at St. Helens, which has become an informal community center of sorts for Hispanic families. Many Hispanic parents stay to learn on their own, said Gonzalez, another community liaison for the school district.