Abstract
Since the early 1990s, there has been growing public criticism of bilingual education or bilingualism in the United States. In this context, Hispanic immigrants have been portrayed as clinging to their own language and culture and are reluctant to become assimilated in American society. However, this image of Hispanic immigrants may well be a stereotype that needs to be examined as to whether it reflects the actual situation. For this purpose, this paper examines views of language and identity held by Hispanics using interviews with parents and observations of classes in two elementary schools in Hispanic communities in downtown Los Angeles.
