ABSTRACT
It was a clear night; delighted, expectant parents and families filled the stadium. In the stands, the sounds of Spanish and English flew; sitting next to us was a family from Frontera, dressed to the nines, and who, like many other families, did not speak English. The grass, where a few months earlier a well-integrated squad of football players-all English speakers, some bilingual-tried unsuccessfully to clinch a few wins, and where the homecoming kings and queens were crowned, held a platform for the distinguished guests, which included school board members and district administrators. Chairs for the graduates were set up on the gravel track. As if to make sure everyone knew in what kind of community this graduation was taking place, one of the newer school board members, a Mexican-American farmer, wore his best black cowboy hat. An occasion for finery, Havens’ style. The whole town seemed to be here; no other social event of the early summer would match this one.
