CHICAGO—The United Neighborhood Organization (UNO) in Chicago is assimilating Hispanic students to U.S. culture the old-fashioned way.
Chicago's largest Hispanic community organization, UNO was granted $98 million in Illinois state funds to establish and run its charter schools, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The group has founded eight schools, serving about a 90 percent Hispanic population, and hopes to double that number with the funding.
The schools do not offer classes in Spanish; students are immersed in English.
Critics of the funding were dismayed by large sum awarded to one entity, due the lobbying efforts within the existing Chicago political machine.
Critics complain that the schools do not empower Hispanics but use them for political purposes.
Proponents note that UNO schools outperform public schools in test scores and attendance records. They unabashedly claim to assimilate students to American culture rather than fight the system.
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