HOUSTON, Texas – As we wrap up Hispanic Heritage Month, KPRC 2 News leaves you with a Houston history lesson you may not know.
Isabel Verver started an English-speaking classroom back in the 1950s.
Her lessons became the blueprint for today’s English as a second language courses in school districts across the state.
KPRC 2 News Anchor Sofia Ojeda met with a historian from LULAC to discuss its display that honors Hispanic history.
“The history of Latinos is kind of being purged. I think this is important because this is not only Latino history, this is American history,” said David Contreras, Historian for LULAC and Chair of Harris County Hispanic Cultural Heritage Commission. “This is an amazing part of the year to celebrate our Latino culture, heritage, and language.”
The display shows LULAC’s 96 years of significant milestones beginning in 1929.
A huge highlight, the Little School of the 400, was started by 17-year-old Isabel Verver in the 1950s.
“Her first day of school, she had to use the restroom but couldn’t communicate that to her teachers, and she had an accident, and she was so embarrassed and made a promise at that point that she would learn English,” said Contreras.
Isabel learned English and became her family’s interpreter. She helped children at her school who couldn’t speak English.
Isabel read an article by entrepreneur Felix Tijerina, and National President of LULAC at the time in Houston.
“He wrote about a program that he was developing to teach children 400 words of English so they could succeed in passing from first to the second grade,” said Contreras.
Isabel contacted Felix and convinced him to include her in the program in schools.
She recruited students in Ganad, Texas. The class grew to 50.
“By the end of the school year, the children who attended this class, 49 out of 50, passed,” said Contreras.
It grew to 13 cities. In 1960, Felix Tijerina was on the Texas School District board and convinced school officials to include the program, and helped change the law to add the program to more than 100 school districts.
It taught about 50,000 students.
“LULAC firmly believes that the Little School of the 400 had a significant impact on Project Head Start programs. Isabel told me that she didn’t understand at the time the significance of what she was doing, and this could have impacted hundreds of thousands, if not millions of children,” said Contreras.
You can check out 250 historic newsletters going back to the 1930s. Go to www.lulacnewsletters.com.
LULAC is always looking for volunteers to help grow its digital archives.