As part of my job, I do bus duty in the mornings and afternoon for the kids enrolled in the Immersion Program. They don't ride a regular bus, but rather 'tag on' to existing bus routes at other schools that stop at our school as a courtesy. Because of this, the afternoon bus kids need to get out of class early and wait by the bus door, and I wait with them to make sure they're all there.

Yesterday as I was waiting, and trying to count my kids and keep them corralled around me, a parent who was sitting by his child's classroom waiting for the dismissal bell began to speak to me. As the conversation went on, the bell rang and kids started streaming out of classrooms and weaving in between us like slippery little fish, and I had to juggle maintaining the conversation and accounting for my kids, so my exact memory of what was said is a bit staticky. But here's a general snapshot:

Him: Are you a teacher?
Me: No, I'm the Coordinator for the Mandarin Immersion Program.
Him: Oh, you are.

Kids: Whee! School's out! Wahooo!!!!

Him: So how many Chinese Kindergarten classes are there this year?
Me: Three.
Him: What percentage of the Kindergarteners is that?
Me: Um... about 75%? (I actually found out later that it's closer to 60%. Oops!)
Him: [shakes head] See, I just don't think that's right, to be shutting out the Neighborhood kids for the Chinese kids.

I should clarify that the Mandarin Immersion Program is NOT limited to kids of Chinese or even Asian heritage.

Me: Well, we don't shut out any Neighborhood students from attending school here - the Immersion students are either kids from this neighborhood, or additional kids we admit.
Him: Yeah, but it's still imposing on our neighborhood to have all these Chinese kids here, it's changed the environment and I just don't think they should have a place here.

Kids: Where's the bus?! Is that Bus 209? Did we miss it? Did it leave?
Me: Guys, stay right here, the buses haven't left yet!

Him: I understand that it's a popular program and everything but I just don't think it should be overtaking the school. I've been meaning to go downtown and talk to the superintendent -
Me: Sure, you can go ahead and do that.
Him: It's just that Chinese kids already have an edge with the way they're brought up and their standards, it's just not fair to the other kids.
Me: Huh?
Him: I mean, you know, Chinese people are great, with their culture and everything, they're very strong and family-oriented, with aunts and uncles and grandparents - you probably see all of your family all the time, every weekend.
Me: Actually, I'm don't have any family here - I'm the only one.
Him: Oh, well everyone else probably does.
Me: Uh huh.

Kids: THE BUSES ARE HERE LET'S GO!!!!

So then I left. And felt incredibly uncomfortable that this man could just sit there and demean the school's program to my face, and make assumptions about my family and my entire living and community situation, and upbringing. Later on I told the secretary in the office about this conversation, and a PTA parent piped up, 'Oh yeah, that's *****. I saw you talking to him and I was wondering what was going on. His kid is in the Immersion Program.'

What?! Yeah. I don't even know. I have a feeling, though, that although this program is very coveted and popular, it may also have its share of enemies just like this man. Only maybe they're not all hypocrites who are reaping the benefits of Mandarin instruction while denouncing the presence of 'the Chinese kids' in their community.

I hope I don't have to interact with him much more. But I have the sinking suspicion that I'm going to be seeing him every day during afternoon bus time. I'll make sure to hide behind the throngs of children.