Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-07-25

The writer, also a teacher of many
years experience, in trying for better
results has thought much about how
best to "Americani2e" the so-called
| Spanish American. Equally with all
right-minded persons who essay an
| opinion upon the subject he ascribes
no wrong motives to any one who may
! differ from him in their views or
! conclusions
He is now particularly attracted by
an article appearing in the Journal
/ written by one "Linquista," who
rOundly scores the bilingual method
of schooling our Spanish-Americans
| Why did This writer choose such
cute nom de plumes? Why didn't he
| jot down his name and not one that
might suspect him of having some
! connection with the "Lindquist Crack
| err Co." Was he INDUCING in Henry
| Ford modesty? Was he ''afeerd' or
was it just u simon pure case of af-
| feCtatiOn?
Linquista starts off with the painful
| inference that our native citizens are
not "AmeriCanized." He then draws
a lurid comparison between what is
| heng done in New York and the
Philippines and what could he done
| in the same way Idnquista does not
]
association or environment into ac-
| count He would make the Filipino
| a Spanish-AmeriCan or vice Vesa,
without any conjunction whatso-
/ eyer.
! There Is a Difference.
| First of all. the Spanish
! of New Mexico is native of New
! Mexico. He Use more or less provn-
cialistiC. He is more or less of pas
torai habits by virtue of the modifi-
cations tina, fixed pursuits, climate
and ancestral influences stamp upon
us all He IS as different from the
| Spali2rd or Filipino as these two are
different from the native of Old Mex
! leo. Methods that could reach other
classes would utterly fa-l of success
! in his case.
! Linquista Cmust be a bilnguistic
HIMSELF reflects that Spanish is
neither spoke nor wrote here as she
! had orter be-" that the Spanish
\ American talks a jargon or dialect
/ of his own. That. # SO. is grievous
fault and grieFously hath Caesar
answered it. Does not Linquista sur
mise that the very fact that the
! Spanish American has been made to
| forego his mother tongue while he
J has been forced" to jargOn in a lam
! X uhSG llldl was utterly
| to him has lost him true foundation
of his own language while it has gained
| him practically nothing in that other
| language he is so jealousy yearning
| to acquire? The old-time Spanish
American (and his type is almost eX-
| tincO having learned all the little ne
| knew from the old Mantilla first and
| second readers so much in vogue in
| his day, was a better scholar than the
| average Standardization STRIPPING of
! today ana he was no less an American
! loyal, law-abiding and thrifty-for all
| that.
| Two Things Essential.
Two things above all else must be
! essential to get us out of our present
| dilemma, say what you will: the teach
| er and the textbook.
The teacher must be one who teach
es for the teachings sake, and not
merely to serve out his time making
! little gallery play or 'palaver'
| affair out of it, in an effort to keep
| the paymasters (directors) mollycod-
| died while in their service. He must
| be sympatheti altruistic, sincere
and tactfuI. He must love his pro-
| teges, make allowances for their short
| comings and resolutely but diplomats
| CalIy set about to BRING out the DesI
! that is in them He must not expect
| too much nor be content with too lit
| tie.
The majority of teachers who are
| today making Il stagger" to teach
| the Spanish-AmeriCans are not in
| sympathy with them at heart. They
| have an inward feeling of repulslon
| for them but insncerely hide 1t in or
| der to get hold of the job, 1t is gen
orally young, inexperienced teachers
! that venture" 'out to remote, Span
ish districts to teach; They go out be-
| cause forced by circumstances. They
! teach because they need the money.
| They deplore the conditions of exist
! ence there, often inwardly hate the
Aery pupils they are tutoring and the
! class of people they must cast their
! lot with while at work. yet they
! stoically grit their teeth and carry
| on just because harsh and uncon-
| troHahle state of personal circum-
| stances mpels them to such an ordeal.
| They quickly pass on to more con-
oenial inbc a. soon as thew can pXtrl-