Senate Votes to Offer Incentives to English Learners

Fluency in English would allow legal immigrants quicker path to citizenship

In a nearly unanimous vote, the U.S. Senate adopted an amendment yesterday that would promote English language learning by offering legal immigrants fluent in English the opportunity to become citizens in four years. The amendment, offered by Sen. Lamar Alexander, would also provide grants for groups providing English and U.S. history classes, as well as offer $500 grants for immigrants to pay for English classes.

“The Senate’s emphasis on English is an ideal focal point in the immigration debate.” said Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of U.S. English Inc. “Assimilation must be at the heart of any workable immigration plan. As an immigrant myself, I understand that success in the United States is not about when you came or where you came from, but how quickly you became a part of American society. Learning to speak the English language is the key step in this integration.”

Monday’s 91-1 vote on the measure amends the immigration bill currently before the Senate. The amendment would change existing law, which currently requires a five-year waiting period for citizenship for all immigrants. Sen. Alexander’s amendment is one of many submitted proposals that deal with English language issues, including an amendment by Sen. James Inhofe, which would make English the official language of the United States.

The language discussion in this immigration bill closely mirrors that of the debate surrounding the last major immigration reform legislation in the 1980s. Making English the official language was a widely supported provision of three different House bills during that time. A 2005 survey by Zogby International found that 79 percent of Americans support making English the official language of the United States, including 81 percent of first- and second-generation Americans.

“The citizens of the United States have long called for uniting our diverse nation under one common language,” continued Mujica. “I am pleased to see that the Senate has acted upon these demands and emphasized the importance of English fluency. I look forward to continued discussion of this important matter and more importantly, action that will make English our official language.”

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.