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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Contact: | Tim Schultz |
| December 11, 1998 | ||
| 202/833-0100 | ||
| 800/787-8216 |
"STATEHOOD WILL REQUIRE ENGLISH," U.S.ENGLISH CHAIRMAN TELLS PUERTO RICANS
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO--As the status vote approaches in Puerto Rico, Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman/CEO of U.S.ENGLISH, Inc., urged Puerto Ricans to be fully aware of what statehood will mean for their language and culture.
"It is important that the people of Puerto Rico make an informed decision about statehood," said Mujica. "The pro-statehood leaders are lying to the people, telling them that they can keep a separate language and culture but still become a state."
"The United States is an English-speaking country," he continued. "Just as immigrants to the United States are expected to learn English, a new state is expected to become an English-speaking state." He then gave the example of Louisiana, which before becoming a state had a French-speaking majority. Now, less than 6% of the people in Louisiana speak French.
"Congress has the power to require Puerto Rico to adopt English as a condition of statehood," Mr. Mujica warned. "They put language requirements on Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona. Why should Puerto Rico be any different? If the people of Puerto Rico want to preserve their language and culture, statehood is not an option."
U.S.ENGLISH is the nations oldest, largest citizens action group dedicated to making English the nations official language. Founded in 1983 by the late Sen. S.I. Hayakawa, U.S.ENGLISH now has over 1.3 million members nationwide.
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