Imagine what Christopher Columbus said when he first set foot on American soil. Perhaps he said, “This land holds great promise.” Whatever he said, the most fascinating question to ponder is what language he spoke, since Christopher Columbus, a multilingual, knew Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. So what happened to the diversity of languages ​​in this promised land? Many foreigners contribute to the American melting pot, bringing their culture and language, yet American schools continue to teach only one language in today's society. The heated debate among parents, educators, and politicians about multilingual education in the United States began in the late 19th century. Over the next sixty years many crucial cases, warrants, and laws passed through the American justice system, oscillating back and forth between support and opposition to bilingualism. Bilingual education in the United States today remains inadequate as most students may have the opportunity to learn a second language for only one or two years in high school, depending on whether the school offers such programs. However, many states have become interested in improving bilingual education and overcoming financial problems. Two-way bilingual immersion (TWBI), a program that teaches students one native and one foreign language, offers the best option. The program's unique integration of curricula allows students to outperform their English-only speaking peers, expanding and using their brains more efficiently while experiencing the world they live in more fully. Despite financial obstacles and a traditional educational mindset, all American schools, from kindergarten through eighth grade, should integrate a two-way bilingual immersion program. The Controversy Over Bilingual Education...... middle of paper ......uroscientist Brian Gold study of seniors aged sixty to sixty-eight, found that the brains of bilinguals function more efficiently than monolingual brains because the Bilingual brains use less energy and bilingual brain strength, despite old age, also causes dementia for 4.1 years and Alzheimer's for 5.1 years. (Kluger). By knowing another language, the brain remains healthy and “fit” just as if a person exercised their body. In the Stroop test, in which people have to quickly read only the color of the word, regardless of whether the color matches the word or not, the results indicate that bilinguals can continue the test longer and with fewer errors than monolinguals ( Kluger). This means better flexibility of bilinguals, when they respond quickly, and better decision-making ability, when they respond correctly. The neurological benefits result in a student better prepared to face the world.