Should English Be the Law in the USA?

[Zar 696]

An ongoing discussion in Anthropology and this is my input on it:

 

States with Official English (30) in alphabetical order:

 

Alabama: Constitutional amendment (1990) passed by ballot.

Alaska: Statutory voter initiative (1998).

Arizona: Constitutional amendment (2006)

Arkansas: Statute (1987)

California: Constitutional Amendment (1986).

Colorado: Constitutional Amendment (1988).

Florida: Constitutional Amendment (1988). Petition initiative

Georgia: Legislative Statute (1986, 1996).

Hawaii: Constitutional Amendment (1978) by the legislature.

Idaho: Legislative Statute (2007)

Illinois: Statute (1969)

Indiana: Statute (1984)

Iowa: Legislative Statute (2002)

Kansas: Legislative Statute (2007)

Kentucky: Statute (1984)

Louisiana: The formerly predominantly French Territory of Louisiana adopted English as its official language as a precondition for its admission into the Union as a state (1807)

Massachusetts: The original constitution was interpreted as having established an official language (1975).

Mississippi: Legislative Statute (1987)

Missouri: Constitutional Amendment (2008) by popular vote

Montana: Legislative Statute (1995)

Nebraska: Constitutional Amendment (1920) by popular vote

New Hampshire: Legislative Statute (1995)

North Carolina: Legislative Statute (1987)

North Dakota: Legislative Statute (1987)

South Carolina: Legislative Statute (1987)

South Dakota: Legislative Statute (1987)

Tennessee (1984) Legislative Statute

Utah: Statute (2000) passed by petition initiative.

Virginia: Legislative Statutes (1981, 1996)

Wyoming: Statute (1996)

 

States requiring English for driver's licenses

Arizona Kansas New Hampshire South Dakota Wyoming Hawaii Maine Oklahoma Utah.

 

So why is that 30 states out of 50 have official English status?

 

Official English doesn't mean "English only." None of the 30 states with official English laws do not allow government agencies from using another languages when there is a public interest for doing so. These include: "protecting public health and safety, assuring equality before the law, promoting tourism, teaching foreign languages, providing for national defense, and many other legitimate, common sense needs."

 

Simply put, if English is our official language it only means that the government in order to act officially it must be communicated in English. This also means that the records recorded from those official acts must be in English, and that no person has the right to demand government services in any language other than English.

 

Official English also means that the government would expect immigrants to learn English as their first step in becoming a part of this great Nation. This also will show that we as Americans want to ensure that we all share in the economic, social and political benefits of having a common language a.k.a English.

 

Having English as an Official language would enable most of the millions of people that cannot find good paying jobs because of their lack of ability to speak English to find the means to be successful in our culture and nation.

 

We are not trying to take away or ruin anyone's culture. They can keep their culture and speak their languages in their communities and home. Having Official English provides the means of better communication, more jobs, an elimination of the growing underclass caused by multilingualism.

 

In the beginning of the industrial revolution there were problems with child labor and 80 hour work weeks. This caused immigrant ghettos that had extreme poverty. Those immigrants saw and lived how important language skills were and how languages skills are the key to enter the "middle class." Do we want to see this happen all over again? Shouldn't we be more engaged in improving our country by having no poor among us and social classes? One of the major parts of this is the language barrier that comes with immigration. If we can break down at-least some of this barrier then we will be more successful with the issues of immigrant poverty and the lower class.

 

Learning to speak English not only empowers immigrants to make a better life for themselves, community and family, but more than 50% of immigrants themselves say that the US should have and expect them to learn English. Also 90% of Hispanic immigrants believe that learning English is key to success in the US.

 

Official English sends out a message that there are great opportunities, benefits and responsibilities for living in our great Nation. One of those responsibilities that provides the benefits and opportunities is learning the English language and has been for centuries. So why should we deny those great opportunities and benefits in the name of multiculturalism?

 

The danger here is trying to distinguish between Official English and English-only. English-only is a wrong idea. People can't keep their cultural and linguistic correlations with English-Only. The reason why the people against Official English use the word English-only because it creates an emotional response that implies English as a linguistic superiority. Which then makes anyone a "bad guy" who wants to support English as our official language and protect its role in our society.

 

Official English allows people to keep their language and cultural ideals. Official English gives a basis for dealings with state and national acts, laws, recordings, etc, and helps to avoid misunderstandings within those laws.

 

I would like to hear your input on this especially from those of you that are from other countries outside of the US that have these official language policies in place and those that don't!

[Ruler of War 169]

Well... I definately think the official language of the united states should be English...

 

Spanish can go fuck itself.... Personally I'm tired of all the fucking posters advertising in Spanish.... (In Texas we actually have advertisements in Spanish... [there is English nowhere on the ad])

 

This is the United States. Learn English or GTFO

[JoshJayK 16,648]

In (Northern) Virginia, there are a lot of ads in Chinese/Korean.

 

Which I don't mind, since I can read them.

 

But they've been the cause for much racism in the schools towards Koreans/Chinese.

[ViperSRT3g 224]

Hell, last time I was in the Northern Virginia area I thought I was back home in Hawaii :D

[veeber 0]

?

Edited May 28, 2010 by veeber

[Cripp 167]

Well, for me I always saw it as each country has its common language... That being said I think if your are in the USA you have to know some kind of English or at least comprehend it. Because from experience the place I work (food service in a hospital) we use this company called the "food team" which gives us workers so we are not short staffed while we find actual workers on the side.. That all being said, I got this guy who cant understand or really speak English which makes my job twice as hard as any other job. Its important to have at least some communication skills with one another for that aspect.

 

I dont find anything wrong with having a common language in the country because:

One: The USA is ignorant when it comes to that stuff (as you can see Rulers Post =P j/p)

Two: Communication is a must to keep the business world alive

Three: Most if not everyone born in the USA has a 1st language in english any how?

Fourth: Outside countries also learn English and must know english to communicate trade and business with the USA (Ties in with 2)

 

Yea so let it be a law!

[BroKeNBoX 19]

Well i think the deeper issue to this is that many illegal immigrants have difficulty accessing english learning courses, and as long as there is money to be made, companies will continue to advertise in the direction of non-english speaking minorities.

[Magical_Trever 60]

If you ask me EVERYONE should learn English. It's the most used language other than Chinese and Indian (Who the fuck would take the time and effort to learn Chinese or Indian) so why not.

[JoshJayK 16,648]

The problem is that if you are an immigrant, from Korea for example, you won't learn English because in Korea, you're required. But once you get here, you don't really need to. There are plenty of Korean communities throughout the US so that they can go for a long time without speaking English.

 

I don't think making it law would change much. Maybe a little bit, but the Korean/Indian/Chinese/Mexican communities will still stay there.

[Ruler of War 169]

They should make it law so that I don't have to go through 10 sets of instructions to find out the temperature to cook my fucking burrito's that are now making my stomach make weird noises!!!