U.S.English Chairman Testifies in Annapolis For Official English Legislation

U.S. English, Inc. Chairman/CEO Mauro E. Mujica testified in the Maryland House of Delegates in Annapolis today to support House Bill 1335, legislation that would make English the official language of Maryland.

“When I came to the United States from Chile in 1965, there was no doubt in my mind that I had civic duty to learn the common language of this country,” Mujica told the committee. “Unfortunately, instead of promoting English learning, government agencies increasingly seek to cater to immigrants in as many languages as possible. We need to return the state’s focus back to English.”

Marylanders are overwhelmingly in support of official English legislation, as evidenced by an October 2005 poll which found that 83 percent of Maryland voters support making English the official language of the state. The Maryland legislature had responded by passing legislation twice in the 1990s, only to have the result vetoed by the governor.

H.B. 1335 calls for the government to conduct official business in English. The bill takes into account numerous common sense exceptions to ensure the constitutional rights of all Marylanders. Public health and safety information, law enforcement and courtroom translation would all be exempted from the law. Furthermore, Maryland’s official English legislation expressly permits the use of non-English languages when necessary to comply with federal law.

“An official language is not an only language,” continued Mujica. “As an immigrant, I take pride in being able to speak my native language. However, without a knowledge of English, I would never have been able to succeed in the United States. I hope that the Maryland legislature will pass this bill and direct this and future generations of immigrants toward the most important skill they’ll ever acquire – English fluency.”

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.