Free Republic

SEATTLE -- With mariachis, tequila and parades, Cinco De Mayo will be celebrated this week in parties across the nation, kicking off a commemoration of Mexican heritage in the United States as a pseudo-holiday that has been adopted by the general population. But for Dagoberto Reyes, a Salvadorian immigrant living in Los Angeles, May 5 is more a reminder of the dominance Mexican culture has in a country that is home to immigrants from many Latin American countries. His prime example: Los Angeles-area public schools. "Our kids go to this school system, and the school system is more preoccupied with...

Luis Bañuelos didn't speak a word of English five years ago when he moved to Modesto from Nayarit, a state on Mexico's west coast. He still doesn't speak English, and he's not trying to learn. "I haven't really needed to learn English since there are so many (Spanish-speaking) Latinos already here in this country," Bañuelos, 25, said in Spanish. "I mostly stay in my own neighborhood so I won't get stuck in a situation where they only speak English." Whenever that happens, Bañuelos runs "to find someone who can translate for me." He's not alone. Nearly one in five Stanislaus...

FORT LEE -- The proposal is straightforward and well intentioned: A Korean-English bilingual class where Korean-speaking children would learn English, and English-speaking students would be taught Korean, a language growing in use in pockets of northern New Jersey. But officials are struggling to sell the concept to parents, particularly families of English-speaking students. At School 3, where such a program would be launched, parents raised questions about whether the class, known as a dual-language immersion program, was practical. "English is hard enough as it is to learn," said Maureen Stitham, adding she didn't think the class would be ideal for...

Legal challenge: Salt Lake City lawyer Brian Barnard says the ban is unconstitutional By Pamela Manson The Salt Lake Tribune Salt Lake Tribune Until 1963, interracial marriages were illegal in Utah. Residents who suffered chronic epileptic seizures and were not sterilized also were barred from marrying in the state. And, until 1993, anyone who had syphilis, gonorrhea or HIV could not make that walk down the aisle. Now, in 2005, three Utahns who want to unite as husband, wife and wife say their preferred form of marriage also should be allowed. They are asking the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of...