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With the installation of a different economic and social system
in Cuba the speech, the habits, and the mannerisms of the people have
changed. Yet, there remain many elements of the language and culture
that have not yet changed. As one girl said with a far away look, "I
remember my grandmother saying to me, 'Vaya con Dios' and 'Dios te
bendiga,' but it was not until I came to the U.S. that I knew what she
meant, because in Cuba we did not talk about God."
Discussion of Findings Regarding Hypothesis and Research Question Two
The data relevant to this hypothesis have been organized in three
segments. The first section contained information collected from the
participating students and parents in the form of surveys and inter
views. The second section related information about the changes
occurring within the community as Spanish has come to occupy a prominent
position within the economic and social interests of the area around
the school. The third section contains information gained through
formal and informal interviews and participant observation within the
school.
Until they arrived in the U.S., the Cuban students' experiences
appeared to be similar to each other. School lessons were nationally
standardized. Students' descriptions of their school experiences were
similar. Neither they nor their parents had moved a great deal. Both
parents and students had attended school in Cuba at least through the
elementary level. Both parents and students exhibited behavior indica
tive of low reading comprehension skills. However, difficulties in
interpreting the printed word could also be attributed to differences