Former Mexican President Vicente Fox proposed an interesting idea recently in a speech at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Fox said he hopes that some day Mexico, Canada, the United States, and the rest of Latin America will be able to function like the European Union, according to a story in the San Antonio Express-News.
Since 54 percent of English-language learners who were born outside the United States come from Mexico, I think this would be an interesting concept for some teachers to bring up for discussion in their classes for ELLs. How exactly does the European Union work and how feasible is such an arrangement for the Americas?
Some Latino groups are pressuring the Obama administration to take up comprehensive immigration reform (hat tip to Hispanictips.com). How do ELL students think that immigration reform could lead to or steer us away from a more integrated Americas? How would an economic union between the U.S. and Mexico affect politics surrounding the U.S.-Mexican border?