Not much has changed... but it will soon

Life in America has come a long way since its foundation was built upon the banishment and exploitation of the indigenous people in order to set the groundwork for another people's persecution as escapees settled into their newly found homeland. Then America's settlers cast out all knowledge of the native people and forced them to adapt to their way of life. Now nearly two and a half centuries later since the birth of our nation we realize that we still have a long way to go.

Angry Asian Man [[http://www.angryasianman.com/2009/04/aaldef-speaks-out-for-lori-panachone.html]] together with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund [[http://www.aaldef.org/article.php?article_id=396]] both speak out about their dismay regarding Lori Panachone. A Laotian American high school student from Iowa wonders why she has to take an English language exam despite being born and growing up in the United States, never being enrolled in an ESL class, serving as a current member of the national honor society, as well as maintaining a 3.9 Grade Point Average. Why you might ask yourself? It is simply because at her home she speaks Lao.

I remember growing up one of my best friends who had a similar background who was Vietnamese American was forced into an ESL class where he felt confused and unable to relate to his supposed peers. He was another Asian American student who because he was able to speak another language and relate to his family's heritage and culture was ostracized and treated differently. After a few months he made his claim and was taken out of the class, but why did he even have to go through that?

We are a nation founded by immigrants, but the struggles that we have gone through together are often forgotten and have resulted in our nation’s divide. Countless stories from children of immigrants who even chastise immigrants and although they speak the same languages are always angry at others’ inability to assimilate show how important it is to learn from everyone and that it is our differences that make us who we are. Despite the nation’s recent election of Barack Obama and his commitment to hope and change, like he said himself “We have to acknowledge the progress we made, but understand that we still have a long way to go. That things are better, but still not good enough.” We are making progress but we still have a long way to go.


This is my sample blog entry for www.wiretapmag.org I'm going to try to become a blogger there... here's to hoping.