D.C. Government Enters ‘Shameful Era of Multilingualism’

Council approves legislation mandating translators at 22 city agencies

U.S. English, Inc. strongly opposes recent action by the Washington D.C. city council to require translators at 22 city agencies and appoint a citywide coordinator to assist the 40,000 residents who are limited English proficient. If signed by D.C. mayor Anthony Williams, the legislation would bleed the struggling city of between $2 million and $8 million over the next four years, while being of no use to 93 percent of the population that is fluent in English.

“It is a discouraging use of resources to see the D.C. government spending millions of dollars on translation,” said U.S. English Chairman Mauro E. Mujica. “Translators are of small significance for those who struggle to find affordable housing, have lead in their tap water and send their children to crumbling public schools. Apparently, the city has given up on trying to fix problems that affect the entire community.

Under the “Language Access Law,” local entities such as the Department of Health, Department of Parks and Recreation and Department of Personnel would have to translate of all vital documents into any language spoken by 500 or more people. According to Census data, there are nearly 100 languages spoken in the nation’s capital, more than 25 of which meet this minimum standard.

“We support giving newcomers to this country access to government, but creating an entitlement program of linguistic welfare is the wrong way to go,” explained Mujica, who immigrated from Chile in 1965. “This act sends a dangerous message. Rather than expecting immigrants to learn the language of our country, we are in effect saying that our country will learn the languages of all of the immigrants. In a nation of many languages that is a recipe for disaster.”

“How the city council can turn a blind eye to ranking among the nation’s worst in high school graduation rates, infant mortality and people below the poverty level and instead commence a shameful era of multilingualism is poor governance to an extreme degree.”

U.S. English, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest non-partisan citizens' action group dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States. Founded in 1983 by the late Sen. S.I. Hayakawa of California, U.S. English, Inc. (www.usenglish.org) now has more than 1.8 million members.