Bilingualism

Four times a year -- usually at Christmas, Chinese New Year, Easter and Pentecost -- two Lutheran congregations sharing one facility in Anaheim come together for joint worship services. Members of Grace Taiwanese Lutheran Church read Scripture and sing hymns in Chinese, and parishioners of Grace Lutheran Church, Anaheim, worship in English. But their different languages no longer present a barrier.

Each episode of "Dora the Explorer" starts with the animated heroine dashing from her family's hacienda, waving to her Mami and Papi and scooting off into the jungle. "Ready to explore?" asks the brave and curious 7-year-old. \o7"Vamos arriba!"\f7 Just about everyone in Dora's world speaks fluent English and Spanish, their adventures are punctuated by salsa rhythms -- and young TV viewers can't get enough of the mix.

A group of House Republicans wants to do away with bilingual ballots and translation assistance at the polls, a reflection of how tensions over immigration are pervading other issues. As Congress readies to reauthorize the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the lawmakers are lobbying their colleagues to let the act's language assistance provisions expire.

Re "A bilingual message for Ms. Xenophobe," Opinion, Sept. 22 Bravo to Andres Martinez for his persuasive anecdote and argument in favor of bilingualism in this country. As a high school Spanish teacher, for years I have tried to impart a similar message to my multicultural students and their parents, occasionally with success, as evidenced by the number of former students -- primarily Anglo -- who take a college semester abroad either in Spain or Mexico. Now I will be able to require that my students read Martinez's column to provide them with the perspective and inspiration they need to achieve long-term personal and professional success.

Gary Soto finally found a radio station that speaks his language -- both of them. In the classrooms of Los Angeles Community College and at his part-time job slinging fruit drinks at Jamba Juice, the 19-year-old American-born son of Mexican immigrants talks primarily in English. But when hanging out with friends, his English comes and goes in favor of Spanish, which is what he speaks almost exclusively with his parents.

The Los Angeles Police Commission unanimously approved 20 recommendations Tuesday aimed at boosting bilingualism within the department and reaching out to residents who speak little or no English. "This is a milestone in the history of the LAPD," said Commission President Edith Perez.

A Los Angeles Police Commission task force released a number of long-awaited recommendations Thursday aimed at improving community policing by reaching out to residents who speak little or no English. After two years of work, the Language Policies Task Force made 20 recommendations that, if implemented, would require all LAPD employees to "ensure that appropriate and effective communication [is made] in all community contacts."

Social worker Deanna Corral stood mute before immigrant foster children, unable to ease their fears in the Spanish she once knew. Businessman Joe Ortiz pitched his product to Mexican chief executives in stammering street calo that rang weak next to their soaring, proper Espanol. And construction worker Manuel Zapata ached to join his bilingual wife and in-laws when they switched from English to Spanish during family gatherings.

The Tin Man, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Dorothy will be speaking Spanish when students at Jefferson Elementary School in Lennox put on a bilingual production of the "Wizard of Oz" this weekend. Last year, when students performed "Peter Pan," English and Spanish were intermingled throughout the scenes. After the production, administrators noticed a tremendous difference in the attitudes of students, many of whom were at risk of failing or falling into trouble.