The United States stands distinct from most other countries on Earth in not having an official national language. In Germany the national language is German. In Italy the official language is Italian. Our neighbor to the north – Canada – actually has two national languages: English and French. All official government documents are available in both. Yet the United States does not have a national language. You might be asking yourself – does this really matter? After all, if English were made the official language, it would seem a mere symbolic gesture. English is already the de facto national language and many people actually believe that it is already the national language. How much do our other national symbols affect our day-to-day life? We have a national bird – the bald eagle. How often does that cross our minds? Do you take frequent pauses during your regular routine to reflect on the eagle? Probably not. It is a federal crime to hunt a bald eagle, but that’s about it. A more visible national symbol is the flag. But English is already the official language in several states, so what exactly is the point of saying it?
The answer lies in the nature of the effects of making such a policy official. Policies regarding the flow of immigration and the management of the system regarding it are controlled at the federal level. Presently, the citizenship tests are available in both English and Spanish. Education in the United States is typically taught in English, although there are certain uncommon deviations, such as the Oakland example in the mid-1990s. Medicare business is also dealt with in English. The United States does have the distinction of being a “melting pot,” but at the end of the day English is what is used to communicate. This is partially why I believe it is important to separate the past identities immigrants from the American identity they are absorbed into. Read the rest of this entry »
