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 Entertainment | Books | April 2007 
Boy's Journey Put in Words
 Tom Hennessy - presstelegram.com
Only in the second grade, he already was falling behind.
His teacher, a Catholic nun, summoned his parents and gave them an ultimatum: "You either teach this boy English or go back to Mexico."
It worked, says Ernesto Caravantes. "My parents (born in Mexico) were bilingual, and they had recognized the importance of learning English."
That very afternoon, they began speaking to their American-born son only in English. And they never stopped.
"All the television programs, all the books, all the movies, everything from then on were strictly in English," says Caravantes, now 33. "And even then, the damage was not corrected right away. It took several years of being in remedial English classes and catching up that finally allowed me to reach parity with my classmates."
Mostly home-schooled during his younger years in the Long Beach area, Caravantes then attended Long Beach City College, went on to Cal State Long Beach where he graduated with a 3.8 GPA, and earned a master's degree in counseling from La Verne University. Today, he teaches introductory psychology at the California School of Culinary Arts and hosts a cable TV program in Glendale.
And he writes. Quite well, as a matter of fact.
His first book, "Clipping Their Own Wings: the Incompatibility Between Latino Culture and American Education," came out late last year. It is a call to young Latinos and their parents to follow the path his parents chose for him: the English-speaking path.
The book is mind-opening and myth shattering, what you would expect from a man who says bluntly, "I've spoken to Mexican-Americans who have been here 30 years and still cannot speak English. That infuriates me."
Lagging behind
Statistics are on Cervantes' side. Hispanics, now the largest minority population in the United States, are behind in education. The average number of Hispanic high-school dropouts has been, for 40 years, more than twice that of African-Americans, the next largest minority group.
He suggests a partial remedy he calls "Selective Cultural Adoption": navigating between Latino and Anglo-Saxon cultures, selecting what an individual perceives to be the best of these two worlds.
"There are those on the right who feel that if every immigrant would just assimilate and integrate him or herself, everything will be fine. I disagree. Furthermore, there are those on the left who want to turn this country into a United Nations and feel we should be made aware of each other's cultures and come to appreciate and celebrate these cultural differences, like it or not."
He calls the latter a "force-fed multicultural approach," and is not enthused about it.
"It is not that Latinos should just assimilate or just be multicultural. All minority groups should be in touch with their roots, but at the same time realize that there may be elements of their roots that may not work in their best interests while living in the United States."
Caravantes' book is rife with views some will find controversial. A sampling:
On anti-U.S. sentiment by Latinos living here: "This country (the U.S.) has given so much to the Latino community that I don't understand this sense of embattlement against the United States. I don't understand where this comes from, this divisiveness."
On bilingual education: "I have dubious feelings about it. Some educators feel people should be taught in their native language. I wasn't. I had to learn English very quickly. I had to sink or swim."
On specialize college programs; women's studies, black students, Chicano studies: "I can see that maybe 40 years ago, these study departments were thought to be important. But that kind of thinking today is anachronistic. There are so many opportunities these days for young people."
On the unwillingness of Latinos to learn English: "They avoid this effort out of sheer mental laziness and fear of sounding inept as they attempt to speak English. So they don't even bother to try. Yet, they only shoot themselves in the foot by not even trying to adopt some very vital elements of American culture."
Low expectations
Caravantes says he was driven to write his book in part by the twisted priorities on the achievement scale of Latinos coming to the U.S. "For Hispanics," he says, "I would guess that education is number five or six on the list."
That shows up, he notes, in the Mexican tradition regarding the oldest daughter in a family. It has not been common for her to go to college. "For a long time," he notes, "the tradition has been that the oldest daughter stays home and looks after the mother."
The expectations of Latinos coming into the U.S. are not high. This shows up, Caravantes says, in their willingess to take menial jobs - car-washing, leaf blowing, etc. - and being grateful to find such employment.
How has his book been received by Hispanics?
"I've shared it with Latino friends. They all agreed with me. One professor at Long Beach State did not, but was quite nice about it."
"Clipping Their Own Wings" (Hamilton Books, Lanham, Md., $22) is not available in the major book chains. This is a shame. It is an important book and needs to be read by many of us. It can be obtained online at Hamilton Books, or at ErnestoCaravantes.com.
He is finishing a second book, "The Mexican-American Mind," and hopes to see it published later this year.
His father, Gustavo, is a bank loan officer. His mother, Imelda, died seven years ago.
Tom Hennessy can be reached at Scribe17@mac.com. |
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