The ongoing debate across our great and diverse nation is whether there should be enacted into law an official native tongue: that being English. Throughout the world, the United States has been viewed throughout its existence as a nation to be a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities unlike any seen before. Since the time of the settlers, one could take notice quite easily the German Jagerhaus, the British Pubs, as well as the Italian eateries- each flared with a distinct flavor and language. This vast difference seen is what makes America unique. Up until the very recent future, it was unheard of anywhere but our great land to be able to sit in a classroom and have classmates from Asia, Europe, Africa, The Middle East and Latin America. This great blend of society continues to advance our perceptions of the world as well as hone in on the principle that it is okay to be distinctive. What purpose, then, would having a law in place requiring one to utilize a certain language? What may be surprising to learn is that this has been a long standing issue on the political dinner plate in America. Mandates have appeared on language as early as 1803 upon the acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase from the French. This move required all citizens of the territory to conduct business, handle legal matters and instruct all students in schools in English (us-english.org). In 1847, a law was enacted to repeal part of the mandate set upon this area. The law authorized Anglo-French instruction to occur in public schools. This, along with all French language rights, was desecrated following the Civil War (The Civil War Society). During this westward ‘expansion’, many feathers were ruffled as a result. Another example is the acquisition of l... ... middle of paper ... ...Brian. Democracy in California: Politics and Government in the Golden State (IIed). San Francisco: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2007. Martin, James J. An American Adventure in Bookburning in the Style of 1918. Ralph Myles Publisher, 1988. Pullum, George K. "Here Come the Linguistic Fascits." National Language and Linguistic Theory (1987): 603-9. Roosevelt, Theodore. Works Memorial Edition. New York: Charles Scribner's 11 Sons, 1926. Volunme XXIV. The Civil War Society. French-Americans in the Civil War. 16 02 2002. 31 10 2011. United States Department of Agriculture. Spanish Language of the United States. Government Report. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Agriculture, 2008. us-english.org. Background of Organization. 11 12 2008. Background of Organization. 1 November 2011. www.snopes.com. Official Language Vote. 14 09 2006. 10 11 2011.
Language can bring people together but can also isolate. The United States is known as a melting pot, not only does that refer to culture but also the many different languages. We know of language barriers, but very seldom do we think of the language barriers within our borders. Even with the language barriers it solidifies the need for a national language, the United States of America should allow the freedom to express one’s culture while maintaining English as our national language, therefore offering common ground to its citizens.
Orsi, Richard J., and John F. Burns. Taming The Elephant: Politics, Government, And Law In Pioneer California. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003. eBook (EBSCOhost). Web. 26 Mar. 2014.
Fromkin, Victoria & Rodman, Robert. An Introduction to Language, 6th edition. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace, 1998
By the next decade, both the Department of Health, Education and Welfare and the U.S. Supreme Court declared it unlawful to keep students who couldn’t speak English from getting an education. Later, Congress passed the Equal Opportunity Act of 1974, which resulted in the implementation of more bilingual education programs in public schools.
Hill, Jane H., P. J. Mistry, and Lyle Campbell. The Life of Language: Papers in Linguistics in Honor of William Bright. Berlin [etc.: Mouton De Gruyter, 1998. Print.
From the time the Pilgrims landed in this great nation at Plymouth Rock, immigrants have been culturally diverse and have spoken many languages. When the Pilgrims arrived in the New World, they did not know how to communicate with the natives. Through intense study the natives learned the Pilgrims’ language. Even with the common language they were still a melting pot of different culture. Some would say that America has gotten over the language/ cultural barriers and now almost everyone speaks the common language of English, but there are still many immigrants who do not know English. Bilingual education is put into public schools for this reason, so that immigrant children can be assimilated to English gradually. The national language should be English instead of the official language because America has prided herself in being very diverse. If we take away the diversity, then we take away the core values that America has always had since her founding.
To begin, let’s look into the background and history of the issue and of bilingualism in the United States. Although bilingualism in the United States is a current issue, it has been part of our history from the start. In the early days of exploration and colonization, Spanish, French, Dutch, and German were just as common as English (Phelps). As our nation developed, though many colonial leaders including Benjamin Franklin protested bilingualism, German and French remained common in colonial North America with even the Articles of Confederation being published in both English and German (Phelps). As millions of immigrants arrived in the United States throughout the nineteent...
Governing California is no easy task. California’s size, growth in population, and diversity are advantages and disadvantages at the same time. With Arnold new in the chair, Californian’s were looking for a new face, a new approach to things, and maybe sometimes, that is not the way to go. One problem is politics by initiative. It is interesting ...
...flicts. The question of whether or not the United States will acquire an official language can only be answered if and when the general public is fully informed on the situation, and the consequences of such action.
English as the official language of the United States could benefit the U.S. Government and America as a whole. America has long since been a multicultural nation and has been an English speaking nation since it was founded. The constitutional and federal documents are all in English, which furthers the American people, believing English should be our official language. The majority of states already have English as their official language, for English has always provided a much needed cohesion to our diverse citizens since it was founded.
...g and holding their traditional language. In the famous office of Congress John Fund among others legislators overturn some regulations laws. After some employees were fire for not speaking English on the job, violate the 1964 civil rights act. “a general right to be left alone, and to define one circle of intimacy; to shield intimate and personal characteristics and activities from the public gaze; to have a moment of freedom from the unmerited assault of the world and unfettered will of others in order to achieve some measure of tranquility for contemplation or other purpose, without which life loses its sweetness.”(Source CNN) New state or federal or city ordinances have adopted principles outlined. Of course, if one takes the native language of non-English people, then one would be violate the main principle of this country the right to be free no matter what.
Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman, and Nina Hyams. An Introduction to Language. 8th ed. Boston: Thomson, 2007.
The age old question that many ask today is “what is an American?” America is continued to be called the “melting pot” of the world. This statement refers to the combination of different cultures and ethnicities throughout the United States. The diversity of America should not take away from the history and foundation it was found upon. ...
Finegan, Edward,."Language :its structure and use" Edward Finegan, David Blair and Peter Collins. 2nd ed. N.S.W : Harcourt, Brace & Co., c1997
North, S. (2012), 'English a Linguistic Toolkit' (U214, Worlds of English), Milton Keynes, The Open University.