As of November 2, 1995 four bills were pending in Congress with aims at creating English as the nationŐs official language. These bills come on the heels of a federal appeals court ruling in December of 1994 which denied an amendment to the Arizona state constitution requiring that all state employees speak English while working. Any bill that is passed as an "official English" measure must be careful not to violate the constitutional rights of Americans. The bill must instead aim at unifying people of all backgrounds.
Critics of creating a national language requirement claim the decision would be prompted more by anti-immigration sentiment than by sound judgment. The campaign of Pat Buchanan in the recent Republican primary was founded on such repulsive nationalistic ideals as sealing off U.S. immigration to all groups for up to five years. Other precedent comes from CaliforniaŐs constitutional referendum, proposition 187, in the 1994 elections which enumerated a list of restrictions for illegal immigrants, heavily dominated in CaliforniaŐs case by those of Mexican origin.
Despite all of these restrictions on immigration, the United States Census Bureau has predicted that by the year 2050 22.5 percent of all Americans will be of Hispanic origin. With such a significant segment of the population speaking a second language, bilingualism will most likely become an even more common phenomenon in many states.
Additionally, free speech violations are inherently involved in restricting the languages used by Americans. Any bill passed by Congress must not require only English to be spoken in all segments of society. Instead, Congress must focus on keeping English as the official language of record in government uses, such as documents and road signs. Beyond this no limits must be placed on which language can be spoken by the people. The citizens of this nation have the right to speak any language.
Currently, $10 billion is spent on federal bilingual programs. This expenditure is not geared to suppress the culture of immigrants coming to the United States. Rather, instructing new immigrants in the English language helps them to become part of the fabric of America. The English language is a tie that helps bind the many segments of our society together. It is not a means of suggesting white superiority. White immigrants from France, Germany, Italy, and throughout Eastern Europe all have the same burden as immigrants from Asia and Spanish speaking regions.
This is not to say that bilingual programs are perfect; they are not. The Bushwick Parents Association of Brooklyn, NY has filed a lawsuit against the bilingual programs within their school district. These parents claim that the program, rather than teaching immigrant children English, houses them together as a group without attempting to bring them into contact with native speaking children.
The negative results of this program are not unusual. Students enrolled in bilingual programs often relate the experience to being in prison. The lack of effort and general apathy with regard to the students is a plague to the system. This abuse is what Congress should fight against.
Creating a national language is intended to help all Americans live and work together. Speaking one language enhances the ability of groups of all backgrounds to communicate with one another. English is increasingly becoming the international language as well. With a world that is becoming more connected, speaking a language that is used by the world will help all Americans.
By making English the official language, Congress will help to unify Americans, not drive them further apart.
Finally, workers and management must be able to communicate with one another if they are to be effective as a team. Congress cannot, however, constitutionally require businesses to adopt "English only" language requirements. Nevertheless, companies should have the right to decide whether speaking English is a prerequisite of employment.
Congress must pass a bill which promotes the use of English as a national language. The bill should not require that only English is spoken in this country. It should promote the use of "English only" in government documents and regulations. The English language is one of the means to preserving the diversity of this nation while bringing all of us together as a nation. MR