CENTER FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

The Importance of Learning English:

A National Opinion Survey of Hispanic Parents.
August, 1996.

ACTIVIST ALERT

The Center for Equal Opportuntiy is currently seeking to interview people who have had a negative experience with bilingual education programs, especially parents. Call CEO toll free at 1 (800) 819-2343.

The Center for Equal Opportunity commissioned a random national poll of 600 Hispanic parents in Los Angeles, Houston, San Antonio, Miami, and New York. The poll was conducted in both Spanish and English by Market Development Inc., a nationaly recognized Hispanic polling firm. The Survey has an error rate of plus or minus 4 percent.

The following is a listing of the most important questions asked and the responses. To view the entire questionaire, any cross tabulations, or to receive the full report with the statistical analysis included, please E-Mail the Center for Equal Opportunity.

Q2. - WOULD YOU PREFER THAT THIS INTERVIEW BE CONDUCTED IN ENGLISH OR SPANISH?
- 600. . .Total
- 102. . .17.0%. . .ENGLISH
- 498. . .83.0%. . .SPANISH

Q3. - IS YOUR CHILD/ARE ANY OF YOUR CHILDREN CURRENTLY IN, OR EVER BEEN IN, A PROGRAM IN SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN WHO NEED HELP WITH ENGLISH?
- 600. . .Total
- 50. . .8.3%. . .CURRENTLY IN
- 43. . .7.2%. . .IN PAST/NOT NOW
- 489. . .81.5%. . .NEVER BEEN IN
- 18. . .3.0%. . .DON'T KNOW

Q13A. - PLEASE RANK THE FOLLOWING THINGS CHILDREN MIGHT LEARN IN SCHOOL IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE: "LEARNING TO READ, WRITE AND SPEAK ENGLISH"
- 600. . .Total
- 306. . .51.0%. . .(1) MOST
- 113. . .18.8%. . .(2) SECOND
- 42. . .7.0%. . .(3) THIRD
- 36. . .6.0%. . .(4) FOURTH
- 55. . .9.2%. . .(5) LEAST
- 48. . .8.0%. . .- D.K./REFUSED

Q13B. - PLEASE RANK THE FOLLOWING THINGS CHILDREN MIGHT LEARN IN SCHOOL IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE:"LEARNING TO READ WRITE AND SPEAK SPANISH."
- 600. . .Total
- 66. . .11.0%. . .(1) MOST
- 153. . .25.5%. . .(2) SECOND
- 131. . .21.8%. . .(3) THIRD
- 101. . .16.8%. . .(4) FOURTH
- 94. . .15.7%. . .(5) LEAST
- 55. . .9.2%. . . - D.K./REFUSED

Q13C. - PLEASE RANK THE FOLLOWING THINGS CHILDREN MIGHT LEARN IN SCHOOL IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE: "LEARNING ACADEMIC SUBJECTS, LIKE MATH, HISTORY, SCIENCE."
- 600. . .Total
- 140. . .23.3%. . .(1) MOST
- 184. . .30.7%. . .(2) SECOND
- 150. . .25.0%. . .(3) THIRD
- 60. . .10.0%. . .(4) FOURTH
- 19. . .3.2%. . .(5) LEAST
- 47. . .7.8%. . .- D.K./REFUSED

Q13D. - PLEASE RANK THE FOLLOWING THINGS CHILDREN MIGHT LEARN IN SCHOOL IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE: "LEARNING ABOUT HISPANIC CULTURE."
- 600. . .Total
- 26. . .4.3%. . .(1) MOST
- 51. . .8.5%. . .(2) SECOND
- 118. . .19.7%. . .(3) THIRD
- 221. . .36.8%. . .(4) FOURTH
- 133. . .22.2%. . .(5) LEAST
- 51. . .8.5%. . .- D.K./REFUSED

Q13E. - PLEASE RANK THE FOLLOWING THINGS CHILDREN MIGHT LEARN IN SCHOOL IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE: "LEARNING EXTRAS LIKE MUSIC, ART AND SPORTS."
- 600. . .Total
- 22. . .3.7%. . .(1) MOST
- 53. . .8.8%. . .(2) SECOND
- 111. . .18.5%. . .(3) THIRD
- 127. . .21.2%. . .(4) FOURTH
- 239. . .39.8%. . .(5) LEAST
- 48. . .8.0%. . .- D.K./REFUSED

Q14. - IN YOUR OPINION, SHOULD CHILDREN OF HISPANIC BACGROUND, LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES BE TAUGHT TO READ AND WRITE SPANISH BEFORE THEY ARE TAUGHT ENGLISH, OR SHOULD THEY BE TAUGHT ENGLISH AS SOON AS POSSIBLE?
- 600. . .Total
- 100. . .16.7%. . .SPANISH BEFORE ENGLSH
- 378. . .63.0%. . .ENGLISH SOON/POSSIBLE
- 104. . .17.3%. . .SAME TIME
- 18. . .3.0%. . .DON'T KNOW/REFUSED

Q15. - IN GENERAL, WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING COMES CLOSEST TO YOUR OPINION?
1. MY CHILD SHOULD BE TAUGHT HIS/HER ACADEMIC COURSES IN SPANISH, EVEN IF IT MEANS THEY WILL SPEND LESS TIME LEARNING ENGLISH.
2. MY CHILD SHOULD BE TAUGHT HIS/HER ACADEMIC COURSES IN ENGLISH, BECAUSE THEY WILL SPEND MORE TIME LEARNING ENGLISH.
- 600. . .Total
- 73. . .12.2%. . .SPANISH
- 488. . .81.3%. . .ENGLISH
- 39. . .6.5%. . .D.K./REFUSED

Q18. - WHAT IS YOUR ORIGIN OF DESCENT?
- 600. . .Total
- 66. . .11.0%. . .UNITED STATES
- 287. . .47.8%. . .MEXICO
- 50. . .8.3%. . .CUBA
- 41. . .6.8%. . .PUERTO RICO
- 25. . .4.2%. . .DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
- 5. . .0.8%. . .SPAIN
- 63. . .10.5%. . .OTHER CENTRAL AMER.
- 56. . .9.3%. . .SOUTH AMERICA
- 2. . .0.3%. . .OTHER
- 5. . .0.8%. . .REFUSED

Q19. - HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU LIVED IN THE UNITED STATES?
- 600. . .Total
- 145. . .24.2%. . .10 YEARS OR LESS
- 188. . .31.3%. . .11-20 YEARS
- 133. . .22.2%. . .MORE THAN 20
- 123. . .20.5%. . .ALL MY LIFE
- 11. . .1.8%. . .REFUSED

Q22. - MARKET
- 600. . .Total
- 120. . .20.0%. . .LOS ANGELES
- 120. . .20.0%. . .MIAMI
- 120. . .20.0%. . .NEW YORK
- 120. . .20.0%. . .SAN ANTONIO
- 120. . .20.0%. . .HOUSTON