Context:Southeast Asians & other newcomers in California’s classrooms May/June, 1997, Volume 17, No. 126
Not all Mexicans Speak Spanish
Context is published When a Spanish- Mexico’s population comprises a wide variety of racial and ethnic five times during the speaking child comes groups. At the time of European arrival in the early 1500s, the country was academic year as a way into your class, do inhabited by numerous Amerind civilizations. The ancestors of these to provide staff with you assume he’s groups migrated south after crossing the land bridge between Asia and information and ideas Mexican? And, if North America 12 to 20 thousand years ago. concerning their you find out he is The majority of the people lived in the Mesa Central. Most were under newcomer students from Mexico, do you the general rule of the Aztec Empire, but a great many separate cultural and parents. While the assume he speaks groups thrived in the region, speaking Tarastec, Otomi, and Nahuatl, and focus is on Southeast Spanish as his first many other languages. Outside the Mesa Central were other cultural Asians, most articles language? This issue groups—the Maya of the Yucatan and the Mixtecs and Zapotecs of Oaxaca. and resources apply to provides a run-down other newcomer on all the possible For at least 2,000 groups as well. District other languages a years prior to Euro- staff with LEP students Mexican child might pean discovery, there receive an free speak at home. Also were complex highly subscription (contact included are all the organized civilizations Nguyet Tham at the languages found in living in different parts Transitional English Central American of Mexico. The Aztec office). Outside countries of El Salva- cities of the Mesa Cen- subscribers pay $10 dor, Nicaragua, and tral were remarkable per year to cover Honduras... for their architectural mailing and handling design, irrigation tech- costs. nology, and social organization. Mayan ruins in the Yucatan Editor: are evidence of wide- Judy Lewis spread urbanization Transitional English and intensive domes- Folsom Cordova USD tication of the land to 2460 Cordova Lane increase its productiv- Rancho Cordova ity. These ruins date CA 95670 back twenty centuries. Phone (916) 635-6815 Over the last four Fax (916) 635-0174 centuries descendants [email protected] of Indians and Europe- ans, sometimes called mestizos, have become the dominant group in 2 CONTEXT: Southeast Asians & other newcomers in California’s classrooms
UNITED STATES Baja California Norte
Sonora Chihuahua
Isla Cedros Coahuila
Gulf of California Nuevo Leon Baja California Durango Gulf of Mexico Sur Tamaulipas Sinaloa Zacatecas San Luis North Potosi Pacific 1 Ocean Nayarit Islas Marias Yucatan Isla de 4 Cozumel 2 3 Jalisco Quintana Bahia de Colima 5 6 8 Campeche Roo Michoacan 7 Campeche Puebla Veracruz Key to states in Guerrero central Mexico Oaxaca Chiapas BELIZE 1 Aguascalientes 2 Guanajuato 3 Queretaro 4 Hidalgo