Non English Language In America

“Twenty-one percent of U.S. residents now speak a language other than English at home. Although many of these people are bilingual, more than twenty-five million residents say they speak English at levels they would rate as less than ‘very well’’ (washingtontimes.com). In the United States, there is no official language, yet most Americans believe everyone must speak English and only English to be an American. Americans who become citizens must learn Standard English resulting in a forked tongue speaking both their native language and English or complete loss of their native tongue and culture. When there is a loss of someone’s culture it results to a loss of identity, beliefs, values, customs, and behaviors. When policing Americans, there are invisible laws set which establish boundaries between Standard and Nonstandard English. There are two forms of English: Standard and Nonstandard, but Nonstandard English is not excepted in all situations. For example, if someone was in a job interview using Nonstandard English, he might be addressed as uneducated or underqualified. Nonstandard English should be recognized but not used in a professional, formal, or intimate conversations, furthermore allowing immigrants, students, and all Americans to express themselves in a way that is comfortable to them and the person they are speaking to.

“No Habla English”. “21 million people living in the United States cannot speak English. Citizens are not just speaking Spanish, but Chinese and Russian are rising fast.” (U.S. Bureau of Census, 2009) To force a citizen to speak a new language is discrimination. Non-English speaking citizens and immigrants that are without good English skills will fall academically, in the judicial system and when receiving proper medical care.

Immigrants from Latin countries moved to the U.S because of ongoing conflicts in their home country. Most of these Immigrants began their life in Miami where there was a large number of them. One challenge these immigrants faced is language barriers. It was hard for them to fit in with society because they didn't speak English which is crucial. Apart from that they also encountered discrimination by the local citizens who claimed they couldn't find any English speaking person in stores. The local population viewed them as invaders and it led to protests demanding laws that require all of them to speak English. Some states passed these laws which made immigrants feel unwelcome and rejected by the society. In order to earn a living and support

Language is considered a vital tool in the construction of someone’s identity and an expression of culture. English is the most widely spoken language in the world. The number of people who speak it as a second language is increasing dramatically. In the last couple of decades immigrants have chosen to make the United States their home, but some proceeded with caution by slowly adapting to the English language and culture. Others don’t want to learn and adapt to the English culture simply because they believe it will separate them from their own cultures and traditions. Therefore, the question struggling to be answered is, should English be the official language in the United States?

English has never been the official language of the U.S. and as a result the U.S. becomes divided by those who speak English and those who don’t. 31 states have already adopted the law of English as the official language and more states are also trying to do the same (Grovum). The majority of the states have agreed to this law meaning most people in the states know English or are learning it immediately if they are immigrants coming in. Immigrants in other states don’t necessarily have to learn the language so many end up not learning it keeping the nation divided. Although these states have made the law official some states just see it as symbolic and do not

Since the early 1800’s, our nation has been trying to adopt English as a universal language among our citizens. Louisiana, in 1807, was the first state to begin this movement in its constitution as a condition to admittance to the Union. After the Mexican-American War in 1848, there were several tens of thousands Spanish speaking civilians that moved into our country, and this didn’t include the other non-English speaking people who lived among us. While we remain to be a free country, we are a people who needs to be on the same page. Laws and education need to remain consistent throughout.

Slavery in the American colonies had greatly shaped the nation as we know it to be today. After the discovery of the New World, Spanish conquerors intended to enslave Native Americans, but punishment, overwork, and diseases such as small pox and malaria decreased their population rapidly. The only solution was to kidnap African Americans from their homeland and transport them on ships under poor, unsanitary conditions, many of which died of yellow fever, dysentery, or suicide. Upon arrival, they were fed and oiled to make them more physically attractive so they can be purchased by wealthy landowners who forced them into labor. Here, plantation owners assigned task for each individual slave, working long hours in the field harvesting crops. At first, these African Americans held the status of indentured servitude, but as the demand for labor grew increasingly, treatment became much harsher. Additionally, African Americans were outnumbering plantation owners, and as a result, they were stripped of their freedom in fear of revolts. Although slaves have little to no rights, they played an important role in developing the economy despite experiencing racial discrimination.

Life as an immigrant in the U.S was not all that great. First, they had to learn English

English has never been the official language of the U.S. and as a result the U.S. becomes divided by those who speak english and those who don’t. 31 states have already adopted the law of english as the official language and more states are also trying to do the same (Grovum). The majority of the states have agreed to this law meaning most people in the states know english or are learning it immediately if they are immigrants coming in. Immigrants in other states don’t necessarily have to learn the language so many end up not learning it keeping the nation divided. Although these states have made the law official some states just see it as symbolic and do not

There were some laws set by the United States that culturally dominated the immigrants in terms of their knowledge of english. One example is the Immigration Act of 1917, passed by congress, mandated a literacy test that required immigrants to read & write in their own language (law). This change of law of level education was an example of cultural dominance because the educated people dominated culture. The immigration act of 1917 displays the United States caring more about the immigrants knowing enough English in their standards than knowing only a certain portion that did not meet their standards, even if they're willing to meet their standards and are very determined to work. Also, in 1980, A law in Florida made English the official language

Though America does not have an official language, English is the most spoken language. First, English is the language of the forefathers; those who are the foundation and reason our country is still in existence today. Whenever the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution were written, the Englishmen wrote them in English. Nonetheless, English has been spoken for many, many centuries. To add to that, the English language is what ties the country back to it’s roots. Secondly, knowing the English language does not just stop at ordering food at a restaurant, it is the language that countries use to trade with one another. Immigrants who know English do not have as much trouble ordering food or trying to sell items to other people. English is the native language of the United States; therefore, learning the language should be a requirement.

Because the language is basic thing in the life. Let’s supposed. If you can’t speak English well, you couldn’t learn anythings in the U.S you are contained, and then you may never catch the opportunity to join the community. In this case, there is invisible situation “Racism". In the society, general example of Racism is linguistic discrimination. For example, when the immigrants go to the CVS or other shops to buy something, some of white skin worker speak English fast. It’s totally intended. It means that they express the signals that look down on them. In this situation, most of immigrants get embarrassed and then just communicate by gesture or other means. Seemingly, it is regarded tiny thing easily. However, if you are immigrants who is discriminated like that. you may insist that it’s unfair situation. This is just little example in the U.S society. Frankly, there are a lot of discriminations for the language. So, it’s so important for the immigrants to give the opportunity to be educated the local language. We need to regard the issues

By making English the official language, it would save money on driving tests, voting ballots, and other important documentation. It is found that, “Drivers tests is offered in Spanish, election ballots are printed in several languages, and courts cost and immigration offices employ translators. The cost of providing multilingual services, including bilingual education, add up to hundreds of billions of dollars each year” (Keddle 1). It is well known that the United States has considered making English the official language, and also that all business and documents be conducted in English and English only. This has come to offend many of the immigrants who live here or plan to live here in the future. They argue that there are not enough classes available for them to take and that if they do happen to find an available class, it cost too much money. They cannot afford to take the classes as well as support their families. They feel like the government is trying to take away their freedom rights. The immigrants try to explain to the government that, “Forcing immigrants to give up their native language robs them of their culture and heritage” (Keedle 27). Immigrants know their rights like, “…the United Nations Human Rights Committee laid down in 1993 that the right of freedom of expression includes ‘freedom to express oneself in a language of one’s choice’…” (Andrássy 1). Every person has a choice to express themselves in anyway they choose. The

In order to be successful in America you need to know a bit of English. Immigrants should not be mandated to learn English, but learning English would help them to succeed. Most Americans want the immigrants to learn English, but are not willing to help them. If Americans help the immigrants, not only will they be able to succeed, but their children will also succeed. People are always complaining when immigrants speak their native tongues. Immigrant children get assimilated through the school system, but their parents do not have the same opportunity to assimilate. This leaves the children to be translator for their parents. In order to help immigrants to succeed, the United States needs to not only assimilate the children, but also help the adults who have a harder time learning a new language. Through helping the immigrants learn English, Americans are ensuring that not only will the immigrants prosper, but the United States as well because she will have workers who are better skilled and are able to understand each other. According to the 2000 Census, fluent English-speaking immigrants earn nearly double that of non-English speaking workers and have substantially lower unemployment rates. (GCIR) This census shows that if the immigrants learn English then they can proper. If Americans help the immigrants learn English

Many people believe that because America is the land of freedom, immigrants should have the choice of learning our language and accepting our culture or not. It is also thought that enforcing any laws requiring them to learn English is discrimination and an infringement on their rights which does not allow the benefits of a so called "free" country. The problem with this belief is that due to the lack of English speaking immigrants, America's under-class is growing rapidly, because language barriers create obstacles in the pursuit of higher paying positions. According to an article in ProEnglish, an organization in support of English as our common language, in 2005, millions of immigrants cannot find good-paying jobs because of their "lack of ability to speak English with customers, co-workers and employers" (Why Official English?). This statement makes perfect sense. If individuals cannot speak the common language of our country, there is no way for them to work in any field in which effective communication is necessary. Unfortunately, the only positions that require little or no contact with customers or co-workers are those that pay minimum wage such as washing