Why America Should Never Make English Its Official Language
A movement to make English the official language of America is gaining ground. Steeped in racism, it masquerades as pro-immigrant.
This is America, speak English.”
This refrain is becoming alarmingly common — used liberally seemingly everywhere from angry Facebook pages, to angry JC Penney shoppers, to belligerent presidential candidates.
During his primary campaign, Donald Trump declared: “We have a country where to assimilate, you have to speak English.” A moment later he added, “This is a country where we speak English, not Spanish.”
Unfortunately, this is not just inflammatory rhetoric — it’s also the basis of current and proposed language policy.
In February of this year, the Michigan House passed a bill to make English the official state language. The bill is expected to pass the state Senate, though it would need Governor Rick Snyder’s signature to become law. If it succeeds, Michigan will become the 32nd state to make English its official language and clear a victory for the ‘Official English’ political movement.
Also known as “English-Only,” the movement has been around for decades, rising to prominence in the late ‘80s…
