Official English Amendment to be Introduced to Puerto Rico Bill
Effort by Rep. Paul Broun looks to answer language questions before bill advances
July 22, 2009
Rep. Paul Broun took steps today to resolve lingering language issues related to Puerto Rican statehood, introducing an amendment that would make English the official language of the island. The amendment, offered during committee consideration of H.R. 2499, would require that English become Puerto Rico’s sole official language should the people choose to make it the 51st state.
“The language issue must be resolved so that Puerto Ricans and members of Congress can accurately determine the benefits and drawbacks of statehood,” said Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of U.S. English. “Combining an island where 80 percent of the people are unable to speak English fluently into a nation where English is the common and unifying language is a prescription for disaster. We need only to look at the situations in Canada and Belgium to discover how language differences can fragment a society.”
As written, H.R. 2499 would provide for an election in Puerto Rico whereby the citizens could decide to become independent, remain a commonwealth or apply for admission to the United States by popular vote. The island, which has been a territory of the United States since 1898 and a commonwealth since 1952, has previously rejected statehood in 1967, 1993 and 1998 referendums.
According to data collected by the U.S. Census from 2005-2007, fewer than 1-in-5 Puerto Ricans are English proficient. Currently, Puerto Rico’s legislative proceedings are conducted entirely in Spanish, as are the island’s official government proceedings. English, though an official language along with Spanish, is rarely heard outside the largest cities, and is taught minimally in the public schools.
“Dating back to the request that Louisiana make English its official language as a condition of statehood, there is significant precedent for Congress requiring that potential entrants to our union share in our customs and our language,” added Mujica. “Asking Puerto Ricans to adopt English as their sole official language as a condition of statehood ensures that Puerto Ricans will have a better chance to assimilate and that American taxpayers will not be saddled with the cost of operating the federal government in both English and Spanish.”
“On behalf of U.S. English members from across the nation, I thank Rep. Broun for introducing this critical amendment and hope the committee will resolve the language issues that could otherwise plague this debate.”
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. () now has more than 2 million members.
