Symposia
“The Language Battle: Speaking the Truth”
February 9, 2007
This year, the U.S. Senate voted for two separate amendments to make English the national language and to make it the common unifying language of the United States of America. English-Only legislation has its roots in Florida. In 1980, Dade County voters approved an “anti-bilingual ordinance.” Since 1988, Article II, Section 9, of the Florida Constitution, provides that “English is the official language of the State of Florida.” However, Miami, Florida contains a melting pot of cultures with many diverse languages. With Florida as a forerunner in initiating anti-bilingual legislation, the University of Miami Law School has organized a forum to discuss and debate the recent state of the English-Only Legislation and its societal implications.
Distinguished Speakers
Ricardo Bascuas
University of Miami School of Law
Associate Professor
John De Leon
Chavez and De Leon, PA
Litigation, Class Action, Criminal Defense and
Personal Injury Attorney
Ira Kurzban
Kurzban Kurzban Weinger and Tetzeli, PA
Immigration, Civil Rights, and Human Rights Attorney
April Linton
University of California, San Diego
Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology
JoNel Newman
University of Miami School of Law
Assistant Professor of Clinical Legal Education
Dr. Rosalie Porter
Advisor to School Districts Across the U. S.
JulieAnn Rico
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
School Board Attorney
Marla Somerstein
University of Miami School of Law 3L Student
Schedule of Events
8:30 – 9:00 Registration & Light Breakfast
9:00 – 9:10 Welcome and Introduction
9:10 – 10:40 JulieAnn Rico, April Linton, John De Leon, Ira Kurzban, and Marla Somerstein
• The Facts: The Past and Current State of Legislative Language Initiatives
• English for the Children?The Controversy of Bilingual Education
10:40 – 11:00 Questions and Comments
11:00 – 11:15 Morning Break
11:15 – 12:15 John De Leon, Ira Kurzban and
Ricardo Bascuas
• Employee Benefits? Potential Effects
on the Workplace
12:15 – 12:30 Questions and Comments
12:30 Luncheon
Click here to download the symposia -- in pdf
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