In the 1960s, the diversity issues have become poignant. Following a series of actions to improve working conditions for Latino workers was a “battle” against the disparity in the treatment of students of Mexican heritage. Inequalities in the American educational system were mirrored in the unfair treatment of the Mexican students who, according to the census of 1960, were nine years behind in their level of education as their white counterparts.
32
States whose immigrant population was significant in number were constantly facing poor performance among students whose primary language was other than English. Therefore, the need for a law to protect and serve language minority students became a top priority for Texas Senator Ralph Yarborough.
33
Senator Yarborough in 1967 Congressional Hearing argued that in order to raise achievement among ELL or bilingual students, new pedagogical perspectives must be introduced along with new teaching approaches necessary for the language minority students. Thus, Title VII, the BEA (Bilingual Educational Act) became a federal law requiring districts to put money aside in order to provide support for the bilingual and ELL students. Districts also must provide qualified staff of teachers and other professionals to service the language minority students. However, the political context was not a favorable one. The Civil Right Act in 1964 opened the doors for changes in legislation: to end discrimination based on race or ethnicity, but the right to an equal education was far from reality when it came to language minority students.
34
