This is Lori Phanachone, she is a senior at Storm Lake High school in Iowa and is a Laotian American high with a 3.9 GPA. Lori plans on attending college and so far has many schools across the nation after her offering scholarships.
The reason, however that Lori is in the news isn’t because of her high marks and exemplary skill set in the classroom, but her refusal to take an English Language Development Assessment. What is the ELDA you ask? Well it’s a test to see if she can speak-a-ingrish and Lori seeing a spade for a spade, is saying no to the racist test.
Unfortunately the school administration has suspended Lori for her protest of what she calls a demeaning and racist test. It doesn’t matter to them what Lori thinks or says and they are even threatening to tack on more days and possibly expel her. When asked about the situation, the superintendent was quoted as saying “Any student who refuses a legitimate request, something that is legal and moral, is insubordinate,” really? This is called a learning environment? It is moral and within her legal rights to protest something that is a complete violation of her civil rights.
Lori you see is Laotian, both of her parents speak Lao at home and little English, so when she checked the box that English was not the first language she spoke, Storm Lake O’ Hate put her on the list to take the ELDA/ Speak American Or Else.
Now what is completely odd is she has to take a test of English Assessment, when Lori has a 3.9 GPA, is part of the National Honor Society and ranks seventh in her class. She must have been using a magic scribe to translate all the textbooks, lectures and basic human interaction in her school on a daily basis! Or better yet she had some English fairy in her ear brought upon her by the God of Lao to help her through the journey of high school in Iowa.
This is a sad insight to how closed minded people can be and it is brave moment in history for a bright 18 year old girl, Lori makes her case plainly “I'm all for help where it's needed, but for you to generalize everyone who speaks a second language, that's so degrading.”
I applaud Lori for being proud of her heritage, her culture and her parents. There is no shame in her act; those who should be ashamed are the school administrators who show no real understanding of life as an Asian-American. This exam as they are calling it is a disgrace to higher learning and we should all join in on the protest.
Let people know this is unacceptable and contact Storm Lake School District contact the below.
Paul Tedesco - Storm Lake School District Superintendent
ptedesco@slcsd.org
Mike Hanna - Principal
mhanna@storm-lake.k12.ia.us
Beau Ruleaux - Assistant Principal
bruleaux@slcsd.org
The phone number over at Storm Lake High School is: (712) 732-8065.
Thank you Lori, you are true example of an outstanding young American and Asian-American.
I am Frank Chow and I approved this message.
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