This mentality is what directly led to the assimilation and cultural destruction of the several Native cultures that reside in the US.
Society should be heading in the opposite direction, embracing multilingual education.
Extreme nationalism is a threat to our Union and our Constitutiona Republic.
@EthanHowardMfrr Good observation.
The English language is like the Borg*, an overwhelmingly powerful assimimilating force. Good for English speakers, of course, and we donât have to worry about Americans losing their English.
*Star Trek episode reference.
We must remember that the same can be said for any language supported by an imperialistic force, be it French, Spanish, English, Russian, Mandarin, Japanese, Perisan, or German.
Any standardized or official language can lead to cultural assimilation, and therefore ethnic cleansing. Itâs been done in the past under several flags, it can be done in the future under several more, be it us or the Borg. 
Remembering to take a non-partisan approach to ânon-issuesâ, things we as People have innate rights to like race, gender or creed, is of utmost importance.
Well that took a dark turnâŚ.
Life is full of all that the concepts heaven and hell have to offer. All of what is good and evil and is conceptualized as the divine, is here.
Sometimes things are wacky, and sometimes theyâre serious. When making a reference to an assimilating force, in comparison to the English language; itâs important to reference all points of view and effects of such speculation. English doesnât equate Cultural Assimilation, nor does Spanish, regardless of the crimes of our ancestors.
Itâs a dark topic.
What language is the bill of rights and the constitution written in? Ah.
In 1795 it was rejected to provide our constitution in German, or any other language. English only. In 1797, it was again rejected to print in multiple languages. In 1811, the Louisiana Enabling Act required Louisiana to use only English in its government, documents and written proceedings in order to become a state. Who signed this into law? James Madison. Who was he? The President at the time and a founding father.
I think youâre affirming the point, the constitution and governance is best preserved using the English language. While of course thereâs respect for other languages, America and itâs roots is best suited using the English for preserving the intentions of our founders. Just as Louisiana was required to use English in state documents and procedures, so should we as a federal government adhere to that same practice hundreds of years later.
You are stating very solid points â not sure why its not resonating on the forum (based on the replies). If the Constitution was written in the language of âmathematicsâ by Founding Father Mathematicians, and everyone in the country conversed through mathematics, then would it not be ideal for the government to express itself to its people strictly in âMathematicsâ (vs. any other form of expression)? Perhaps I am seeing it too simplisticly? It really doesnt seem so complex to have a national language based on the language of the Founding Fathers. I mean, does it?
My only comment would be in America we recognize through the American with disabilities act that there are people who are visually impaired, deaf, physically impaired, that would not be able to work and be productive members of society without some accommodation. I donât feel having a sign language interpreter or a technological device that allows somebody to hear or see information in a room as an undue burden that shouldnât be supported.
Well, it wouldnât be a burdenâŚuntil it is. For example, if the small person in the corner of the screen of the TV suddenly expanded and took up precisely half of the TV screen, waving arms and fingers around in flowing sign language, just so that the ONE person who suddenly entered the room could see what was being said on TV, while the rest of the room now looked at only half a screen to continue following their program â then we can see a glaring problem with that âaccomodation for disabilities or otherâ.
Same thing would apply with technology, when 95% of the callers of a particular government phone line spoke English, but HALF of the time you spent on the call was provided in a non-English formatâŚthe glaring problem again shows itself.
Anyway, I think when the language does not reflect the population, then it works against the population and thus weakens the nation comprised of that population.
How is it an insult to insure the people migrating to the US, have a common thread with the new country theyâve adopted? I would agree that there might need to be some exceptions, as older adults sometimes have more difficulty learn new languages fluently, but the folks I know can still communicate.
Havenât you travelled? No one likes granting citizenship to people who donât speak the language of the country they want to join. The rare exceptions, globally, involve the ultra-wealthy.
Just a quick reminder that authentic democracy and republicanism (re: Plato, Aristotle) depends more on compatibility than multiculturalism. Diversity, and particularly linguistic diversity, is the first historical step towards balkanization, without historical exception. Having a functional democratic republic requires linguistic compatibility, and this myth about multiculturalism being a strength is a myth. That is a characteristic of empires and dictatorships, not democracies or republics.
Yes, Rome, for instance, was at a zenith when it was diverse. But it also was a dictatorship. It was only a republic when it was almost entirely Latin and Latin-speaking. As soon as it expanded beyond this, the Republic collapsed into a dictatorship, and the empire eventually fractured up because it was unsustainable. This fracture also hastened with the adoption of Greek as another official language, which eventually split the empire into two before it finally fractured completely.
There is a real and tangible point where diversity is a threat to democracy, and this has happened every single time in recorded human history that ignoring this sets us on a path of implosion.
There are many of us who do not want a diverse dictatorship. We want a republic of compatibility and some rational level of social cohesion that will allow America to exist for a few more generations than it will if the multiculturalists get their way.
So Iâm assuming we in our day-to-day lives here in South Texas and elsewhere hear Spanish from illegals? I work for a new home builder and get the blank stare from worker after worker on the sites because they donât speak a lick of English.
I just changed insurances for next year and got the new paperwork for it. There was a 2 page insert entitled âMulti Language Insert â Multi-Language Interpreter Servicesâ. The languages on the list are: English, Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin), Chinese (Cantonese), Tagalog, French, Vietnamese, German, Korean, Russian, Arabic, Hindi, Italian, Portuguese, French Creole, Polish, Japanese, Hawaiian, Ilocano, Samoan, Ukrainian, Lao, Cambodian, AND Hmong. I wonder if providing that service raises the cost of the insurance?
According to Ethnologue there are around 7164 active languages in the world today. https://www.ethnologue.com/
What happens if a family of 5 from Papua New Guinea decides to come to America? They speak Alekano, it is spoken by about 40,000 people and has 5 vowels, and 12 consonants, but /w/ is found only in the village Wanima. Uyghurs speak Uyghur, have been in the paper recently, and there are 10+ million who speak it. The Akan language, also known as Twi, belongs to the Kwa branch of the Niger-Congo language family. It is spoken primarily in Ghana, with a significant number of speakers also found in eastern CĂ´te dâIvoire (Ivory Coast). The Akan language cluster includes several dialects, including Asante (Ashanti), Fante (Fanti), Brong (Abron), and Akuapem. Nine million speakers. There are 10 Arabic dialects depending on which country you are in, 9 Chinese, and 18 from India
We can have an idealistic goal of letting people speak whatever language they want, but with that many different possibilities, if you do not understand American English you will never understand America and we will end up with many, many different enclaves that cannot understand each other, Chinatowns, Little Italies, Little Mexicos, Koreatowns, Little Havanas, etc, each with different values and goals because they never assimilated. And what about the cost of public services, police, fire, ems, schools, etc? We already have ESL teachers, but what about the aforementioned family of five? Does everyone need to be Bi-lingual, Tri-Lingual, or Quad-Lingual?
Yes, technology will cover some of that. Ten years, maybe less, into the future, you may have a wearable that listens to you, translates it into English, and translates the response back into your native language. You may need to call a phone number; you are ask questions in your native language, you respond in your native language and all of the relevant forms are completed electronically with no human interaction. But you will never be America. You will be a foreigner living in American, and we will lose a lot.
As you stated it leads to cultural assimilation. Thatâs a good thing, if you move here you should assimilate into the culture. Just a if you move to any other country. Thatâs the whole point!! Is getting people to become citizens. But to truly become American you have to assimilate into the culture.
Iâm a first-generation immigrant and currently a US citizen. You are right that English must be declared an official federal language. However, American taxpayersâ money should never be used to make non-English speakers learn English or assimilate.
Instead, all federal documents, including voter ballots, must be written in English only. Except for classes specifically teaching foreign languages, all classes in federally funded educational institutions should be taught in English only. No translation services should be paid for by taxpayersâ money. All federal jobs must require passing English proficiency tests.
The naturalization interview, which formally already includes an English test (which currently is a joke), must require candidates to demonstrate the ability to read and understand formal American documents, at the very least the US Constitution. Parents of minor children must be required to bring their children to an interview to demonstrate that they raise their children to learn English at levels no lower than those of native English speaking children of similar age.
All federally funded ESL classes must be abolished.
All first-generation immigrants, even naturalized citizens who were convicted of anti-American criminal behaviors such as protesting against American federal holidays, vandalizing American flags and monuments, or promoting anti-American ideologies such as communism or radical Islam must be deported for violation of the Oath of Allegiance. (Ilhan Omar must be deported first.)
Federally funded educational institutions must be prohibited from hiring CCP members or accepting money from dictatorial anti-American regimes.
Iâm reminded of a a real story, where a foreigner dies shortly after riding some kind of roller-coaster, due to a heart issue, at universal studios
The warning was in English, and Spanish, but they spoke Portuguese or something. The FAMILY sued Universal studios for a lot of money.
Why do people who come here feel entitled to be accommodated?
A National Language Act will not save us from entitled people, or tourists that donât follow instructions, or litigious people who sue even when the loss was their fault.
True Tai, but a National Language will strengthen the United States against other countries who already practice a national language. Iâm good with that and would expect no more than that.
Disgusting that you would even say that. This nation is meant to be a culture mixing pot, and a free haven for all cultures, races, and creeds. Not a successful ethnic state.
sorry, but letâs leave cultural assimilation in 1930âs Germany and 1870âs US