[lg policy] Bicultural and bilingual values add to U.S. economy

[Harold Schiffman]

Bicultural and bilingual values add to U.S. economy
February 26, 2012

Liza M. Rodriguez  has worked on family and community issues for nonprofit
and government agencies

Going back to the founding of this country, waves of immigrants have
charted their path to integration. Navigating this circuitous route is no
easy feat. It requires adaptability, initiative, and cross-cultural
knowledge. All these abilities are essential to a globally competitive
workforce, according to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. So it's no
surprise that the economic benefits of being bilingual and bicultural have
been well-documented.

 The Center for American Progress has noted that "immigrants are 30 percent
more likely to start a business than are nonimmigrants." A study by the
University of Florida found that fully bilingual Hispanics earn an average
of nearly $7,000 more per year than their peers who speak only English, and
that "corporations cannot find enough fully proficient bilingual
employees." In Philadelphia, the Economy League has called for more
investment in attracting and retaining immigrants of all skill levels,
because "regions that attract these workers will enrich their talent bases,
strengthen their international connections, and position themselves for
economic growth."

Besides the economic advantages, the Society for Neuroscience has found
that "being fluent in two languages, particularly from early childhood, not
only enhances a person's ability to concentrate, but might also protect
against the onset of dementia and other age-related cognitive decline."
Newsweek science columnist Sharon Begley has written that the strongest
evidence-based strategy for improving cognitive function is learning
another language. She noted that when bilingual individuals choose which
language to use in a conversation, the prefrontal cortex, the site of the
brain's higher-order functions, gets an intense workout of the sort that
strengthens "such IQ-building skills as problem-solving and
attention-switching."
We have known for some time that being bilingual is good for one's economic
prospects. Now we find that it's also good for one's health!
As a Puerto Rican who lived in three different states before settling in
Philadelphia, I have navigated many different cultures, workplaces,
relationships, and communities over the last 23 years. Throughout, I have
met other "navigators" and heard their stories of adaptation and
integration. These stories have strengthened my faith in the rich diversity
of our communities.

Sparked by my newfound interest in the prefrontal cortex, I recently talked
to a few friends about the benefits of being bilingual and bicultural.
Nielufar Varjavand, a doctor at Hahnemann University Hospital and a
daughter of Iranian immigrants, grew up in Los Angeles speaking Farsi and
English. Her husband is fluent in Spanish and Hebrew, and they speak Farsi
and Spanish at home so their two daughters will learn three languages.
"Being bilingual makes it easier to get closer to people who are different
from you," Varjavand told me.
Rubi Pacheco-Rivera, who was born and raised in Philadelphia, credits her
Puerto Rican roots and bilingualism with helping her develop relationships
across groups and institutions. She started the first Latino student
organization at Central High School and later did so at Arcadia University.
"I wanted to create a space where I could connect with people that had
similar experiences, but also develop ways to improve relations and
understanding between these institutions and Latino students," she said. In
her current role as Philadelphia's assistant commerce director, she creates
connections among city government, businesses, and neighborhood groups.
Mey-Yen Moriuchi's parents, Cuban immigrants of Chinese descent, raised
their children in New York, Minnesota, Peru, and Mexico because of her
father's job with an international firm. "People look at us and might make
assumptions about our cultural identity," she said. "But we grew up
speaking Spanish, eating Cuban food, and celebrating Latino traditions."
Moriuchi and her Japanese American husband speak Spanish with their two
children at home, and she said her family's blend of cultures "enables them
to be more adaptable and flexible in new environments, and open to people
of different backgrounds."

As many of us have come to understand intuitively, bilingualism helps us
tackle and embrace complex challenges. We can speak someone else's language
and establish a comfort zone, connect different groups of people, and be
flexible in finding solutions to new problems.
Now that brain research has confirmed what many economists have argued for
decades, I hope we can come to appreciate how immigrants strengthen the
rich social and economic fabric of our society.

Liza M. Rodriguez can be reached at liza.margarita at gmail.com.

http://articles.philly.com/2012-02-26/news/31101469_1_prefrontal-cortex-farsi-immigrants/2

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 Harold F. Schiffman

Professor Emeritus of
 Dravidian Linguistics and Culture
Dept. of South Asia Studies
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305

Phone:  (215) 898-7475
Fax:  (215) 573-2138

Email:  haroldfs at gmail.com
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/

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