As a Cuban American, I have to agree with the English-only and English as official language initiatives that the states of Indiana and Minnesota have introduced into legislation.
For those who are unfamiliar, legislators in these two states are trying to pass laws that would require public documents and other government business, such as government agency documents, applications, driver’s license exams and voting ballots, to be done only in English.
Supporters of the bills say that the number of special accommodations made for immigrants make them less motivated to learn the language and irritate those who do speak English. Meanwhile, critics say that the legislation is mean-spirited, unnecessary and hostile to people’s native languages and cultures.
I personally believe that Latinos – who come to this country looking to better their lives – have to realize that one of the ways we can say “thank you” for our opportunities here is by providing this great nation with our talents, our ethics and our respect.
The concept of “respect” covers a great deal. We must respect all the basic foundations of this country, including its Constitution, its Bill of Rights, and yes, its language. English is the official language of this country, and everyone who comes to live here has to learn it.
The U.S. needs one official language. Culturally there will be multiple languages spoken, which will add quite a bit of dynamic growth to our lexicon. Other cultures are soaking up American phrases and terms to add richness to their language. This is the same process that has given us our American language.
We must guard against having our American English becoming a dead language if we adopt it as an official language. That is a great danger. But it might be avoided by not requiring an official language within the body of legislation.
Bilingual text is definitely wrong but continuing the evolution of our language is extremely beneficial.
