English as Official Language

Introduction

It is common for a country to have an official language. However, the US is one of the few countries that do not have an official language. Making English as the official language of United States would save the American financing of billions of dollars and boost immigrants to discover the language of their new country. In the phrases English is the key to full participation in the possibilities of American life. By affirming English as authorized language it will join as one, and advance the value of dwelling for all citizens. The late 1970s saw a movement come forth in Miami and Florida to accept English as a national language. The movement gained popularity across the country and the movement soon moved towards a voter's initiative. However, the voter initiative was eventually overturned by the courts (Adams, Pp. 122). This is only one instance in which the movement to make English the official language gained momentum and met with failure. It is asserted that English must be taken as the official language of the United States of America for numerous reasons which have been presented in this research paper.

Background

There are several probable reasons that the fathers of the nation of the USA chose not to designate English as the official language. One of these may have been that the dominance of English was self-evident, rendering an official policy unnecessary. Another possible reason may be that the fathers of the nation respected linguistic diversity and minority rights. The third reason may be that the fathers of the nation were hesitant to offend minorities who had supported the revolutionary cause. The founders opted for a tolerant approach. While the nation did not adopt an official language, the close nexus between English and the preferred national identity was clear from the outset (Crawford, Pp. 33). The idea of a nation composed of White, English-speaking people was openly supported by several of the so-called founding fathers. Some went even further and proposed that the new nation should limit certain privileges and opportunities only to White citizens who were born in America. Election to the presidency, for example, is reserved for persons born in the US. A willingness to embrace English and abandon other languages of origin soon became a symbol of national loyalty by immigrants. This early ideology may be compared to that of those who fear large-scale immigration today and advocate for ending it by building walls along the southern border of the country.

Justifications for Making English as an Official Language

The economic problem of language "assistance" by the government is enormous. In supplement to the $10 billion authorities yield every year for bilingual learning, authorities spend millions to supply transformations and other bilingual services. New Jersey solely expended $922,000 in 1992 on court translator fees. In lightweight of these charges and adversities, 22 states have announced English their official languages. Those states still use other languages when essential, but their official language - language in which their authorities function - ...