The positive answer is that bilingualism is favourably connected with many aims and goals. Bilingualism is valuable for musicians, entrepreneurs, sports people, airline personnel and many other areas of ‘success'. In the twenty-first century, it is likely that employment will increasingly demand language skills. So in the long term, children raised bilingually may receive an extra boost to their employment prospects, economic success and chances of affluence.
For those parents who want their children to be skilled interpersonally and socially, bilinguals are often the ones that are sensitive and sympathetic in communication. Bilinguals can break down barriers and build bridges, and are often more open-minded about racial and ethnic group differences. Academic success is not usually impeded by a child being bilingual. On the contrary, it may lead to greater success.
Suddenly to submerge someone who can speak a minority language in the majority language may not only cause psychological dislocation, it also denies the language abilities the child already owns. Such language abilities transfer easily into the majority language. The majority language can be successfully learned alongside the minority language.
Supporters of bilingualism do not usually deny the importance, economically, politically and socially, of a high level of competence in the majority language. To compete for jobs, economic advance and political power, fluency in the majority language is often required and demanded. To deprive someone of majority language competence is to deprive them of chances of success in later life. However, ensuring a high degree of competence in the majority language need not be at the cost of minority language skills. Bilingualism is usually a case of addition and not subtraction; multiplication and not division.