Jaycee Benavente

 

Should English become the Official Language of the United States?

For centuries America has been famous for being “The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave”. Accordingly, shouldn’t that “Free” include the freedom to speak whatever language you wish? Recently, there has been an ongoing debate on whether English should become the official language of the United States or not, and I believe that it should not. I believe that by taking such a ploy, we would be diminishing the very essence and substance of cultural tolerance that America has long been famous for. I ascertain that our nation should remain free from the notion that we need any official language. This course of action would also undermine the very foundation on which America was built upon

What does Official English Mean?

First let’s take a quick look at what making English the official language actually calls for, in terms of legislation. The proposed bill, H.R.997 - English Language Unity Act of 2013, states that all official functions of the Government of the United States shall be conducted in English. Basically, by declaring English as the official language of the United States, there would be a need “to establish a uniform English language rule for naturalization and to avoid misconstructions of the English language texts of the laws of the United States” (beta.congress.gov). Basically, anything related to the government like healthcare, the judicial system, and legislative law will all be carried out in English.   

Let us acknowledge that this “English legislation and legislative efforts accurately reflect efforts to pass Official English, not “English-Only” (http://us-english.org/view/11). This means that the government will not be eliminating other languages, but rather conduct its business in English only.

A peak at both sides, Liberal and Conservative

What Republicans have to say...

 

 

What Democrats have to say...

How will this affect the people?          

 Some people will argue that it is only the government documents that are changing, not the whole nation. They also dispute that immigrants need to be encouraged to learn English. Well, what will happen when all formal laws, healthcare, voting ballots and the court system are only in English? What kind of impact will that have on the immigrants? America has been known to be a land of immigrants hasn’t it? Official English would divide the nation more than it would hold us together. As far as immigrants learning English, there’s need for more encouragement. Studies have shown that immigrants are learning English faster than previous generations. Furthermore the application to become an American Citizen already has high English criteria that must be met. “The English test has three components: reading, writing, and speaking” (www.uscis.gov). So even before immigrant can enter the United States, they are already prompted to pass an English proficiency test so forcing English further would be pointless.

This is America, so people need to learn English

There’s also the argument that Official English is necessary because this is America, and in America people should speak English. I could not disagree more! What does it really mean to be an American, or rather what does America stand for? Yes, this is America but America has traditionally been referred to as a "melting pot", “welcoming people from many different countries, races, and religions, all hoping to find freedom, new opportunities, and a better way of life” (www.culturalsavvy.com). To be more precise, I agree with the notion that America is like a salad bowl, combining many cultures, languages, and customs, that are each independent from one another, yet blend together perfectly into one dish. The salad bowl suggests that “different people with their own original cultures and traditions combine to form one distinct America” (www.wdac.info). In the end, the reason people come to America is because we offer freedom, equality, and tolerance. If we were to establish a system that forces itself on others, I don’t see how that supports what we stand for.

Let's decrease unemployment and make history!

Moreover, some argue that by fulfilling Official English, we would be saving the government millions of dollars’ worth of spending on translating and printing documents. This is certainly true, however that cost pales in comparison to the economic benefits that follow this spending. Lately, unemployment rates have been increasing, far beyond the average rate. Many Americans are left without jobs and it’s hurting our economy. By keeping legislation the way it is now, the government can provide necessary jobs for those in need. For those who believe too much money will be wasted, translators and interpreters do not make a fortune. They earn approximately $40,000 a year. Moreover for those who complain about printing so many copies of government papers, is it really that bad? Honestly, I think having extra copies in file is a good thing. Think about it, the United States preserves so tons of government papers. Why, because they will be a part of history. Years from now wouldn’t Americans want a variety of America’s documentation instead of one? Take the declaration of Independence for example. What if they had written one in Spanish hundreds of years ago, or even French? I believe it would be more valuable to us, so what’s the harm?

English is not going anywhere!

            There are also those who fear that by not taking this Official English, the English language will surely die out and get watered down by other emerging dialects. This is highly unlikely. English is the dominate language of the United States and one of the most dominate language of the world. A recent census mapped out what areas of the U.S spoke a language other than English at home. The data showed that English was by far the most dominate language even with all the other foreign languages combined. In fact, many Americans favor the English Plus idea, that the best choice is learning English and another language. The census only showed for languages spoken at home, not for public affairs. So just imagine that half of those people already know English too, and anyone can see that there is nothing to worry about in regards to English’s extinction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fourth time's the charm?

Traditionally, Americans have resisted previous language legislation. It all started in 1780, when John Adams proposed to establish an official Language Academy to set standards for English. This idea “was rejected by the Continental Congress as an improper role for government and a threat to individual liberties” (www.languagepolicy.net). A hundred years later President Teddy Roosevelt had attempted to "reform" English spelling. His attempt also ended to no avail. Previous tries have failed, but here we are again in the 21^st century trying once again. Typically when something doesn’t work, you do something else so to me these efforts are futile. Even Albert Einstein remarked, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. Here we are, expecting different results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep things the way they are

In the end, if America singled out other languages by proclaiming an official one, we’d actually be going back in time and putting years’ worth of progression in vain. For so long throughout the history of the United States, we’ve made leaps and bounds. We fought for the abolition of slavery, women’s right to vote, civil rights for all of mankind, and countless other great feats. Slowly but surely America has progressed year after year into a nation of tolerance, freedom, and equality. Consequently, by establishing an official form of communication, we would take away encouragement of other tongues, reduce the freedom to express ourselves, and shift the balance of equality. Even though English may be the most dominate language in America, it should not become the official language. Everyone knows that English is our dominate language, do we really need to make it official? Keep things the way they are, so far it has been working for years, so why change what works?