ELL News Headlines

The partial federal government shutdown has now stretched into its 24th day, and is the longest in history. And if negotiations between President Donald Trump and Congress over a potential border wall continue to falter, states could find themselves in a tight spot when it comes to funding one of the most important programs for poor children—Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF—as well as other federal child-care benefits. 

In the past decade, the popularity of the seal of biliteracy has surged across the country. What started out as an effort to promote educational equity for English-language learners in California may be morphing into something else as more states pass legislation that honors high school graduates who demonstrate fluency in two or more languages. For English-language learner advocates and foreign language instructors, the national embrace of bilingualism is a welcome sight. But a big unanswered question remains: Bilingualism for whom?

The 12-year-old wore a pink Disney princess backpack that said, "We Can Do ANYTHING," as she hugged her mom for the first time in eight months. It was a moment Vilma Carrillo feared would never come. US immigration authorities separated Carrillo from her daughter, Yeisvi, after they crossed the border together in May 2018. But even though a federal judge last year ordered the US government to reunite most of the immigrant families it separated, advocates said this mother and daughter weren't covered by that ruling. That's because Carrillo was born in Guatemala, but her daughter was born in the United States. Because Yeisvi is a US citizen, she couldn't be reunited with her mother in immigrant detention, as other parents and children were.

One Houston neighborhood is taking its diverse culture and putting it proudly on display. The Gulfton Trail Story is a new series of larger than life murals, all within walking distance of each other, which feature the richness of the Gulfton neighborhood in southwest Houston. "It brings life to the community," said mural artist Jesse De Leon. De Leon is one of the mural artists who created a huge mural on the side of a laundromat on Rampart. It is poetry-inspired art which tells the story of the community's immigrant families.

Erin Entrada Kelly is an author of children's literature and was awarded the 2018 John Newberry Medal by the Association for Library Service to Children for her third novel, Hello, Universe. Her new critically acclaimed book, You Go First, is an exploration of life as a middle schooler through "family, bullying, word games, art."

There is a particular magic to 'Lotería,' the card game, sometimes described as Mexican bingo and played by generations of Hispanic children, that lasts well into adulthood. It can transport you to an abuela's house in Mexico, to a cousin's birthday party in Texas, to a babysitter's backyard in California. But it can also make you wince. Last year, as Mike Alfaro shuffled through an old deck of the game — notable for its folk-art drawings — he blanched at one image of "La Dama," the lady. The card showed an affluent woman in an old-fashioned full-length skirt-suit, weighed down by flowers and a clutch. It struck him as symbolic of antiquated views about gender and identity within the Latino community. How would this young Hispanic woman identify in 2018, in the United States? He looked at other cards, some with undercurrents of racism and classism. What about those? So began the process of reimagining 'Lotería' for a new generation in America, with new cards and a message to better fit the times.

Engy Gadelmawla is a Facing History and Ourselves alumna and member of its NextGeneration group. A 2018 graduate of Drew University, she now works as a legal and compliance analyst at a private equity firm in New York. In this column, she writes, "Young people need safe spaces to learn about history through different perspectives, explore how moments from the past influence the present and understand how our own identities take shape with our learning. It is through such experiences that young people can develop the agency to stand up for what they believe in."

Norma Pimentel, a sister of the Missionaries of Jesus, is director of Catholic Charities for the Rio Grande Valley. In this editorial, she writes, "Every day of the year, from morning to evening, families coming over the border are welcomed at our center with smiles, a warm bowl of soup, a shower and a place to rest. Most families are exhausted and afraid, carrying little more than a few belongings in a plastic bag. They come in all forms and at all ages. Few speak any English. Most are in great need of help. Some days, we see 20 people. Other days, it's closer to 300. In recent weeks, it has been very busy. Some stay a few hours, but many spend the night before heading on to new destinations. Since we opened, more than 100,000 have come through our doors."

A bipartisan group of lawmakers in Wisconsin is recommending increasing funding for public schools and allowing districts to raise money through local property taxes. The recommendations would change how school districts could raise funds for English-language learners, those with developmental disabilities and those coming from low-income families.

School systems in the Washington, DC region are taking steps to make sure children of federal workers have lunch provided at school. Day-care centers in federal buildings remain closed, forcing parents to scramble for alternatives. And a small kindergarten operating out of the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History may have to close for the year if the government isn’t reopened soon.