Letter from the Chair

Jill Hakemian, Chair, Supporting Students with Disabilities Interest Section, TESOL International Association

Recent actions by the U.S. government reverberate throughout the world - increased, increasingly violent immigration presence on the ground in the U.S.; reduced opportunities for international student exchange and slashed funding for aid throughout the world; and increased tensions across the globe as so-called superpowers posture for power are just a few examples. For emergent bilingual students with disabilities, who carry multiple marginalized identities in a society increasingly hostile to difference and diversity, daily life has become a series of terrors. We know these students are some of the most likely to be overlooked and underserved academically, behaviorally, and socially-emotionally, even in the best of circumstances, and the current climate can hardly be referred to as such.

Regardless of political beliefs, we all became educators because we care about children. We have dedicated our careers to supporting emergent bilinguals and students with disabilities through affirming, culturally responsive, accessible language development and equitable access to all instruction. Our position at the intersection of two student subpopulations makes us uniquely aware of societal shifts and the real, on-the-ground impact of political beliefs and policies. James Baldwin famously stated, “The children are always ours, every single one of them, all over the globe; and I am beginning to suspect that whoever is incapable of recognizing this may be incapable of morality,” and our educators live this sentiment every day. Our call to action remains the same: we advocate for the safety, physical and emotional, of our students and families and for high-quality instruction for all students; educate our peers on the intersections of students with disabilities and emergent bilinguals, including how current events impact students' real lives; and empower students and families by amplifying their voices and needs, especially in spaces they don't have access to.

I urge you all to focus on hope in these heavy times. Cities are coming together to support their immigrant communities. Congress has stood firm and passed funding for Title III English learner programs. IDEA remains in place, despite attempts to dismantle it. Organizations like TESOL have used their power to advocate for students' civil rights, education funding, and regarding the impacts of immigration enforcement on schools. While we can't turn a blind eye to events happening around the world, we can look toward ourselves and one another to see just how many of us are pushing back. In the words of Junot Diaz, “Radical hope is our best weapon against despair, even when despair seems justifiable; it makes the survival of the end of your world possible. Only radical hope could have imagined people like us into existence. And I believe that it will help us create a better, more loving future.”