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By Lorian De Lahoz Cruz<\/strong><\/p>\n Having moved to United States from the Dominican Republic, I felt a huge sense of relief when I found out that I\u2019d be attending the only two-way bilingual high school in the state. I have had many positive experiences at the Margarita\u00a0Mu\u00f1iz Academy, but there is something important missing: cultural diversity. I am surrounded by students that look and speak like me: Latinos. This kind of segregation is something that Boston Public Schools needs to change.<\/p>\n For families interested in two-way Spanish\/English education, Boston Public Schools has several models, such as the Sarah Greenwood School for grades K1 through 4 and the Rafael Hernandez and Joseph Hurley schools for grades K1 through 8. However, these schools are 70 percent, 92 percent and 72 percent Latino, respectively. Like me, these students aren\u2019t benefiting from the advantages that a diverse classroom affords. At a diverse school, the students spend time talking with people who are different from them, opening their minds, exchanging ideas, and improving their lifestyles.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/div><\/p>\n \u00a8In a diverse classroom the students have the opportunity to experience new cultures and develop new skills that can impact their life in a positive way,\u00a8[1]<\/a><\/sup><\/sup> said Dr. Frances Esparza, the assistant superintendent at the office of English learners for Boston Public Schools. Esparza believes the district should do more to grow these programs by informing all parents, not just Latino parents, that a multilingual and multicultural education is an asset. In sum, BPS should establish multilingual education that goes from 5th<\/sup> through 12th<\/sup> grade.<\/p>\n A culturally diverse school has a deep impact on students. According to Esparza, \u201cThe student performs better when they are in a diverse\u00a0classroom or school.\u201d[2]<\/a><\/sup><\/sup>\u00a0When the school is multilingual a newly-arrived immigrant can feel more comfortable, because there may be others that speak the same language or have the same ethnicity. Also, students in a culturally-diverse school have a deeper understanding and respect for other cultures. At a diverse school, the students spend time talking with people who are different from them, opening their minds, exchanging ideas, and improving their lifestyles.<\/p>\n In a culturally and linguistically diverse classroom, students develop awareness for language and understand that there are many ways to communicate their ideas. Students can transfer their native language skills and learn English faster! Multilingual students can transfer their knowledge of one language to any other language, and they can have the opportunity to navigate in many cultures. Also, the more languages students speak, the more global opportunities they will have to find employment in any country. [3]<\/a><\/sup><\/sup><\/p>\n