I don’t understand what the issue is when people talk about making English the official language.
It was one of the questions at the presidential debates of both parties. Closer to home, Fran Eaton at Illinois Review links approvingly to an article by Phyllis Schlafly and to a report that Carpentersville has passed a symbolic resolution to make English its official language, commenting that “it should also be the state and nation’s policy, as well.”
What the heck does that mean? Talk about making English the official language is pointless without discussing the details of what exactly it means to have an official language. Do supporters of English as the official language really want the United States Congress to pass a symbolic resolution? That would be pretty shallow.
I assume supporters have something more specific in mind, as must opponents, but neither side ever spells out the details. Do the supporters just want to make sure that English is considered necessary and sufficient for legal purposes? Do they object to non-English signs in government offices? At airports? In supermarkets? What about “E Pluribus Unum” on the back of our money? Is that just caving in to the Latin Lobby?
Is it just me? Am I the only one who doesn’t know what “official language” means? Or is it just feel-good legislation for the anti-immigrant crowd.
Simple: It would mean that the government itself could only transact business and publish documents in English. You need a translator? Then get one on your own time and your onw dime.
One stickler: The Voting Rights Act, which expressly requires that those who are eligible to vote but who cannot speak English must be accommodated.
HA!
Gotcha, English is the delared language of many states, including Illinois, the resolution was passed in 1969! Something the above mentioned people should know by now!
Why are they here if not to join the other 300 million citizens in the great life? Don’t they really care enough to join the greatest country in the world? If not, they really should go home and eat some tacos or stuff like that!
Declaring English the official language of our government is essential and beneficial for the Village and its residents. Official English unites the community by providing a common means of communication; it encourages immigrants to learn English in order to use government services and participate in the democratic process; and it defines a much-needed common sense language policy. We support Official English because:
1. Official English promotes unity
There are 132 languages spoken in Illinois and many of those are spoken in our Village. Immigrants of many nationalities built our community, but the “melting pot” melded us into one people. This long tradition of assimilation has always included the adoption of English as the common means of communication.
Unfortunately, the proliferation of multilingual government sends the opposite message to non-English speakers: it is not necessary to learn English because the government accommodates them in other languages. A study published by the U.S. Department of Labor found that immigrants are slower to learn English when they receive a lot of native language support (Monthly Labor Review, December 1992). Thus, multilingual government services actually encourage the separation into linguistic districts. This division of the Village into separate language groups contributes to racial and ethnic conflicts. Designating English as the official language helps reverse this harmful process.
2. Official English is pro-immigrant
Immigrants benefit from the elevation of English to official status. Instead of the mixed message government sends by making it possible to receive a host of services in a variety of languages, immigrants will understand that they must know English to participate fully in the process of our government. Providing multilingual services creates dependence on “linguistic welfare.”
Bilingual-education programs say to Hispanic parents: “Your children aren’t real Americans and never will be.” Bilingual education ensures Hispanic children will grow up to be second-class citizens because such programs keep Hispanic children from learning English when they are young and can do so most easily.
Life without English proficiency is a life of low-skilled, low-paying jobs. Studies of Census data show that an immigrant’s income rises about 30% because of learning English. Knowledge of English leads to the realization of the American dream of increased economic opportunity and the ability to become a more productive member of society, which benefits everyone.
3. Official English is common sense government
The designation of Official English eliminates the needless duplication of government services in multiple languages and the related expense. It is not the responsibility of the Village to provide services in the 132 different languages. It is the responsibility of each individual either to learn English or to find a friend or family member to translate.
Official English legislation recognizes the need for common sense exceptions permitting the use of other languages for emergency, safety and health services and foreign language instruction. Of course, because Official English is only a limitation on government, it does not affect the languages spoken in private businesses, religious services or private conversations.
Conducting meetings and proceedings, along with providing ordinances, forms, documents, publications, Web sites and signage in foreign languages, directly undermines our naturalization laws that require immigrants to learn English and needlessly costs our residents a fortune to maintain.
What does “Official English” mean? It means that our government has decided that in order for its actions, laws and business to be authoritative, they must be communicated in the English language. It means that there can be no disagreement about which language is the controlling one for discerning the meaning that government intends. And it means that absent a broad, public interest reason for using another language, the default language of all government operations is English.
Official English also sends a message to all those who want to participate as citizens in this great community, that there are responsibilities as well as benefits for being here. And, one of those responsibilities is learning to speak the language of our Country — English. There is no reason why our expectations for non-English speaking immigrants today should be less than our expectations for the generations of immigrants that preceded them.
English is the glue that unites citizens of all races, colors and creeds. It is vital to the assimilation and advancement of new immigrants, and to the future well being of our Village. Federal law requires people to demonstrate their ability to read and understand basic English in order to naturalize. A recent Zogby poll found that 79% of voters and 81% of recent immigrants supported such a law. Therefore, there is no valid reason to have bilingual communications in our Village governmental process.