HI, MR. TSTICHT:   WHAT A WONDERFUL AND INTERSTING REVELATION THIS IS.  I AM AN ADULT EDUCATOR  (SINCE 1975) AND STILL WORK VERY INVOLVED IN THE PROFESSION, AT A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL IN WASHINGTON, DC AND I AM FROM CUBA (HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF THE PEDRO PAN KIDS????).
  OF COURSE, I USED TO WATCH "I LOVE LUCY" WHEN I WAS A KID IN HAVANA AND STILL WATCH SOME OF THOSE RE-RUNS AS OFTEN AS I GET A CHANCE.....  XAVIER CUGAT WAS A LUMINARY OF CUBAN MUSIC, AND I FIRST LEARNED TO DANCE BY LISTENING TO SOME OF HIS MUSIC......  THANKS FOR ALL THIS INFORMATION.  IT MAKES MY HOLIDAYS EVEN MORE CHEERFUL!!!!!!   JAY CASTANO 

-----Original Message-----
From: tsticht at znet.com
To: englishlanguage at nifl.gov; povertyracewomen at nifl.gov
Sent: Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:05 pm
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 1957] New Year's Conga Line for Literacy



December 10, 2007
TCHT
 New Year's Conga Line for Adult Literacy Education
Tom Sticht
nternational Consultant in Adult Education
Many readers may recall the "conga line" dance that has been in and out of
idespread popularity several times since the 1930s, and often shows up on
ew Year's Eve.  It is probably less well known that there is a
elationship of the conga to adult literacy education.
One, Two, Three, la Conga! ….One, Two, Three, la Conga!…
During World War II many entertainers used their special talents and fame to
upport the war effort through the selling of war bonds or in encouraging
en to enlist in the military services. One such entertainer was the great
uban musician and band leader, Xavier Cugat. According to one report,
ugat recorded a song in 1941 about the need for Americans to support
resident Franklin D. Roosevelt in the war effort. Entitled, "Viva
oosevelt!" Cugat, the primary popularizer of the conga line dance, wrote:
"Viva Roosevelt! Viva Roosevelt!
h what a señor!
adies and Gents, get in the conga line of defense
ome on and follow this leader, give him a vote of confidence."
One, Two, Three, la Conga!  One, Two, Three, la Conga!
One of those who got "in the conga line of defense" was another Cuban
usician, Desi Arnaz, who was to go on and become internationally famous in
ovies and as the real life and TV husband, Ricky Ricardo,  of Lucile Ball
n the wildly successful TV series, I Love Lucy. While living in New York,
rnaz was drafted in May of 1943. But he suffered a torn knee cartilage, so
e was assigned as a "limited service" soldier to a special camp where
lliterate enlisted men were sent upon entry into the Army. In this camp, 
esi Arnaz joined with thousands of other teachers in the camps for
lliterates and worked as an adult educator teaching illiterate soldiers
ow to read and write. As a literacy teacher, he was part of a long "conga
ine of literacy educators" who worked to make soldiers literate in World
ar II.
One, Two, Three, la Conga!  One, Two, Three, la Conga!
Right across from New York, in New Jersey, another soldier, Private Arthur
euman joined in the conga line of adult literacy teachers when he was also
ssigned to teach illiterate soldiers and non-English speaking soldiers to
ead and write in the Army's Special Training Unit in Atlantic City. In a
998 MA thesis by Marston Mischlich, he tells about the work of Private
eumann and said, "Not only did this educational training add value to the
oldiers for their units, it also built their self-esteem." He gives an
xample of how important the Special Training Unit’s efforts were in a
hort letter one of the soldier student's mother which showed how important
he schooling was to families of the soldiers:
"Dear Son George:
other was so proud to get your letter, to think you could write a letter
ourself. I will always keep it as a remembrance. God bless the man that
aught you. It means so much to me to hear directly from you.""
One, Two, Three, la Conga!  One, Two, Three, la Conga!
In Nebraska, the middle of the nation at the time, Otis Mattox, who had been
 high school teacher, got into the conga line of Army literacy teachers
uring World War II. In a note on the internet he wrote about his work as
n adult literacy teacher and said, "What had happened in early 1942, with
ll this rush to get men in a hurry and into training, along about June or
uly 1942, they realized all of a sudden, that they [the army] had about a
uarter of a million people that they considered functionally illiterate.
hey couldn't read a Military order or they couldn't read at all, or they
ouldn't write. It looked like it would be a tremendous loss to throw a
uarter of a million people out. . . They needed some instructors or
eachers. So I was sent down along with some other people. We were trying
o lift them up to about the third, fourth, or fifth grade level
ducationally, so that they could function with some simple math, [so that]
hey could understand orders if they were written fairly simply." Later,
hen it was discovered that Maddox and some others were not limited service
oldiers, they were reassigned to the infantry and sent off to the European
heatre.
One, Two, Three, la Conga!  One, Two, Three, la Conga!
Though statistics are difficult to come by, I estimate from reports that by
pril 1944 the "conga line of defense" made-up of adult literacy
nstructors included some 5, 291 personnel. Of these, around 641 were
fficers, 4,557 were enlisted men, and there were some 87 civilians. More
han 1200 of these teachers in the conga line of adult literacy teachers
ere African-Americans. The efforts of all these teachers helped raise the
iteracy skills of over a quarter million soldiers and contributed to
ictory for freedom and democracy during World War II.
Today, the conga line of literacy teachers includes hundreds of thousands of
en and women working around the world to light the lamp of literacy for
ens of millions of adult learners. The work goes on, and slowly but surely
he lamp of literacy is being illuminated in all the nations of the world.
nd the beat of the conga drum goes on
This New Year's Eve, put on your hat, toot your horn, form a line, put your
ands on the hips of the person in front of you and do la conga for
iteracy!
One, Two, Three for Literacy! One, Two, Three, for Literacy!…
Happy New Year 2008 to All!!
[G'night, Ricky. …G'night, Lucy. ]
Thomas G. Sticht.
nternational Consultant in Adult Education
062 Valley View Blvd.
l Cajon, CA 92019-2059
el/fax: (619) 444-9133
mail: tsticht at aznet.net

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