Official English: Myths and Realities, Part I

WASHINGTON D.C. – In the coming months, Americans will be debating the merits of H.R. 997, the English Language Unity Act of 2003. This bill would make English the official language of the United States government. In an effort to improve the debate on this issue, U.S. ENGLISH, Inc. will expose some of the most common misconceptions about official English and show the realities behind them.

Myth # 1

Official English is anti-immigrant

Declaring English the official language benefits all Americans, but it benefits immigrants most of all. Immigrants who speak English earn more money, do better in school and have more career options than those who do not. As an immigrant from Chile, Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of U.S. ENGLISH, Inc., can testify that English proficiency is the most important gift we can give to newcomers. In fact, polls show that 70 percent of Hispanics support making English the official language of the United States. Learning English is the key to assimilating into the mainstream of American society. That is why our organization, U.S. ENGLISH Inc., advocates for English immersion classes for immigrant students and adults.

Myth # 2

Official English is “English Only”

Many far-left opponents of official English, such as the ACLU, refer to our legislation as “English Only.” Official English simply requires that government conduct its business in English. It does not dictate what language must be spoken in the home, during conversation, cultural celebrations or religious ceremonies. It does not prohibit the teaching of foreign languages. It does not affect private businesses or the services offered by them. In addition, H.R. 997 makes exceptions for emergency situations.

Myth # 3

Today’s immigrants are learning English just like the immigrants of old

The United States has a rapidly growing population of people who are not proficient in English. The 2000 Census found that 21.3 million Americans (8 percent of the population) are classified as “limited English proficient,” a 52 percent increase from 1990, and more than double the 1980 total. More than 5.6 million of these people were born in the United States. In states like California, 20 percent of the population is not proficient in English. The Census also reports that 4.5 million American households are linguistically isolated, meaning that no one in the household older than age 14 can speak English. These numbers indicate that the American assimilation process is broken. If not fixed, we will see our own “American Quebec” in the Southwestern United States and perhaps other areas of the country.

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.