Race, Bilingual Education and American Political Development

• In Event: Can You Hear Me Now? Language Effects in Political Campaigns

Abstract

Since 1965, bilingual education (BE) policy trajectories in California and Texas have been counterintuitive considering the partisan histories of these states. After a period of policy expansion in both states from 1965 through 1975, the two experienced policy rollback from approximately 1978 through the first decade of the 21st century.  However, policy rollback proceeded differently in the two states.  In Texas, policy rollback begins in the late 1970s and continues incrementally through the 1990s, plateauing in the 2000s. In California, policy rollback also begins in the late 1970s, continues incrementally through the late 1990s until BE is statutorily eliminated via Proposition 227 in 1998. In 2016, BE is then statutorily reinstated via Proposition 58.  Partisan shifts in power do not completely explain these varying policy trajectories. This paper will provide a more comprehensive argument: BE policy trajectories since the 1960s are a function of the interaction of racial political development and subnational policymaking mechanisms. Racial political development provides a new set of political opportunity structures for BE policy development from the 1960s forward. Subnational policymaking further determines these opportunity structures, providing the various forums for policymaking and political development at the subnational level – where the most directly impactful BE policies are passed and implemented. Subsequently, BE provides a window into the role of racial political development and subnational policymaking processes in subnational immigrant political incorporation as well as the impact of subnational policymaking processes on racial political development.

Author

• Girma Elyot Alifeyo Parris, Case Western Reserve University