English As The Official Language Of The US

4 Pages 1124 Words

There is a continuing debate among politicians and political groups about whether or not English should be made the official language of the United States. This change would mean that all government services and documents (ballots, driver’s license tests) would be available only in English. Supporters of this policy are anxiously waiting to see whether or not The English Language Unity Act of 2003 is officially implemented into the Federal government (4). I am opposed to this implementation and in the following paragraphs, I hope to convince you that making English the official language of the US is not only irrational, but also that if implemented, it could adversely affect the quality of our culture.
According to an article by Deborah Schildraut (1), 26 US states have already declared English as their official language and that several surveys have shown that more than 80% of Americans support the notion. However, these Americans may not be considering the fact that social and cultural environments do tend to vary from state to state and the potential cultural repercussions. There are some states that couldn’t possibly have English as their official language because of their immigrant population. How fair would it be to only print election ballots in English in a state that hosts entire communities and even cities of non-English speakers?
A news story published in The Associated Press (2) reveals how The English Language Unity Act would in fact violate Civil Rights Act of 1964. The article tells about a woman named Martha Sandoval who sued home state of Alabama for not allowing her to take her drivers license test in her first language of Spanish. She won on the grounds that The Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that no organization may “discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.”
This story gives warning of many similar cases that would ensue if English were made the official language of the US. ...