Contact: Talon Editorial Board
letters@latalon.com

Re “Teacher’s comments on
immigration insensitive”
(October 24)
Talon’s comments idiotic
I am a student here at Los Altos
and read your article criticizing Mr.
Moser’s “outrageous” comments on immigration,
and I would like to say that I
thought that your comments about his
opinion were very “outrageous.”
I think that taking a teacher’s, or
anyone else’s, comments to The San Jose
Mercury News and blatantly stating that
he is wrong and that everyone “should
be saddened by his insensitive and
hurtful comments” is just idiotic.
I am not only mad about your
comments about him. I also have
to strongly agree with him. We, as
Americans, became citizens when our
ancestors moved into the United States.
They passed legally, and that means
they should be entitled to American
privileges. I am personally angry that
nothing is stopping the fl ow of illegal
immigrants to California. It is taking the
jobs and money from welfare away from
honest American citizens.
I don’t have any bias against immigrants
because of their race, ethnic background,
gender or sexual orientation,
but if they want to become an American
citizen, they should have to do it legally
as many of our ancestors did.
Aaron Adams
Sophomore
A letter to English learners
I recently attended a book talk by
Francisco Jimenez, author of the autobiographical
book “Breaking Through”
and professor at Santa Clara University.
Dr. Jimenez grew up the child of
undocumented migrant farm workers
from Mexico. As a child he worked in the
fi elds picking crops, and while in high
school, he worked as a janitor to help
support his family.
I am writing this letter as a tribute
to you, my students, because I know that
many of you must work while you learn
English and study other subjects to improve
your own and your family’s lives.
You are continuing a long American tradition
of hard work and new beginnings.
With your hard work and your studies,
you are contributing to the economic
success and cultural richness of California
and the United States.
Like Dr. Jimenez’s life experiences,
yours are often diffi cult or sad, but I
hope that you will not give up your
struggle to become educated, vital members
of our community. If sometimes
you don’t feel welcomed by those of us
who are already citizens, I hope you will
remember that many of us, or if not we,
then our ancestors, also started out as
foreigners here in the United States. We
are a nation of immigrants, and you are
making history.
Emily Goodheart
ELD Coordinator and Teacher
Una carta a aprendices
de inglés
Recientemente astistí a la plática del
libro del doctor Francisco Jiménez, autor
de su autobiografía “Rompiendo Barreras”
o “Breaking Through” y professor
de la Universidad de Santa Clara. El doctor
Jiménez creció de padres campesinos
indocumentados y emigrantes provenientes
de México. En su niñez trabajó
en los campos recogiendo la cosecha, y
mientras atendía la preparatoria. También
trabajó como conserje para ayudar
a su familia economicante.
He escrito esta carta como un tribute
a Uds., mis estudiantes, por que sé que
muchos de Uds. tienen el deber de trabajar
mientras aprenden inglés y estudian
otras materias para mejorar su vida y
la de sus familias. Uds. son parte de
la continuación de una larga tradición
norteamericana de trabajar duro y de
nuevos principios. Con su trabajo y sus
estudios, están Uds. contribuyendo al
éxito económico y al enriquecimiento
cultural de California y de Los Estados
Unidos.
Como las experiencias de su vida
y de Dr. Jiménez, la de Uds. frecuentemente
es difícil o triste, pero espero que
Uds. no renuncien a su educación para
todas esas amarguras por que Uds. son
miembros importantes de esta comunidad.
Si algunas veces Uds. no se sienten
bienvenidos por esos de nosotros
que ahora son ciudadanos de este país,
espero que Uds. recuerden que muchos
de nosotros, si no nosotros, nuestros
antepasados, también comenzaron una
vida aquí en Los Estados Unidos como
extranjeros. Somos una nación de inmigrantes,
y Uds. están haciendo historia.
Emily Goodheart
Coordinadora y maestra de ELD

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