English as the Official Language Essays

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English as the Official Language
More than 82% of people in the United States understand and fluently speak the English language, but it is still argued today by some that English should not be the official language of America. This everlasting argument has been ongoing for years and allows people to express their own opinions. The majority vote of this topic is that English should indeed be the official language of the United States. Proceeding to claim this language would be beneficial to the States and would create positive outcomes. English as the official language of the United States could benefit the U.S. Government and America as a whole. 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. The United States should declare English as the official language because it has been understood to be so since our founding fathers discovered our nation, all federal statements and issues are in English, and it will allow immigrants to learn and strive in American society,
The United States of America was founded on July 4, 1776. 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. All historical documents such as the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution have been written and signed in the language that citizens fluently speak today. In January of 1795 the House of Representatives denied a request to print out copies of the law in the German language, favouring English instead. Making English official would insure the security that all future documents and laws will be written and understood in the language.
The army and federal court system already operate in English for practical reasons, and by having an official language, the workings of the government would be more streamlined. In November of 1986, California voted on Proposition 63, a referendum to make English the official language of the state: three-quarters of the electorate were needed to pass, and it is not surprising that it did pass. Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Nebraska, and Virginia had already passed such laws when California voted in 1986. (Dennis Baron 2,3). Passing a bill making English official would mostly apply to government policy and federal documentation, and would make it clear that unless the government decides to provide it, no one is entitled to government services or documents in any language other than English. In a recent national survey, nearly two-thirds of Americans assumed that English was already the official language set by the United States Constitution, according to the Associated Press, 1987. (James Crawford 1) The lobbyists ‘U.S. English’ believe "It is a shared language that has allowed us to rise above our differences and come together as citizens of one nation... there was no resistance to the notion that learning English was the price of immigration." (James Crawford 1) English has strived and has been the foundation of not only American documents, but also the American way of living. On a national level, the question of our official language is before us in the form of the English Language Amendment. First put forward by Senator Hayakawa of California in 1981, the United States would finally establish English as the primary language; would defend English against the imagined onslaught of competing languages, and teaching English to immigrants – because Americans are expected to learn, then we will be willing to provide help in doing so(Dennis Baron 3).

English has always been the language associated with the United States both by its citizens, and by the rest of the world. Bilingualism has always been approached as a temporary transition into our
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