“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