Lawmaker Revives Push to Make English Official US Language

Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) speaks during a news conference with the House Freedom Caucus on the debt limit negotiations at the U.S. Capitol Building on March 10, 2023 in Washington. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) revived a decades-old push to establish English as the official language of the United States with the introduction on March 24 of the English Language Unity Act of 2023.

If passed, the bill (pdf) would “declare English as the official language of the United States,” require all functions and proceedings of the U.S. government to be conducted in English, and incorporate “uniform testing of English language ability” as part of the naturalization process for legal immigrants.

Government officials would also be obligated to “preserve and enhance” the status of English as the official language, including promoting opportunities for individuals to learn it.

“In the melting pot of the United States of America, our common English language promotes unity and fosters cultural integration,” said Good, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, in a statement.

Melting Pot or Salad Bowl?

While the United States has never recognized an official language at the federal level, 32 states have recognized English as an official language, and in Hawaii, Alaska, and South Dakota, indigenous languages are also recognized.

But while efforts to make English the official national language have sprung up time and again over the years, they have always been met with heated debate from those who believe such efforts to be unnecessary at best and discriminatory at worst.

And thus far, the detractors appear to be winning the debate, as under current law, federal agencies are required to provide “meaningful access” to government services to those with “limited English proficiency,” as per an executive order (pdf) signed by former President Bill Clinton in August 2000.

There has also been a push in recent years to increase the government’s role in ensuring access to multilingual services through proposed legislation such as the Mental Health Workforce and Language Access Act, introduced by Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) in 2021, which sought to provide federal grants to community health centers to recruit and hire mental health professionals fluent in languages other than English.

Meanwhile, a movement toward “language justice” has begun to take hold among progressive groups like Just Communities, a California-based nonprofit that aims to “educate and equip Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and white people with the tools necessary to take action and advocate for racial justice.”

Another aspect of the multiculturalist view of America as more of a “salad bowl” in which cultures can mix yet remain distinct, the language justice movement was formed in direct opposition to the promotion of cultural assimilation.

“Valuing language justice means recognizing the social and political dimensions of language and language access,” the organization contends, “while working to dismantle language barriers, equalize power dynamics, and build strong communities for social and racial justice.”

Likewise, Move to End Violence, an organization against gender-based violence, adds: “Language justice calls us to disrupt colonization, to challenge Western dominance, and to break down the ways injustice silences, erases, and dehumanizes us. It calls us to create spaces where all people are welcomed to communicate in the languages and accents that they feel most comfortable and whole, and where we support the meaningful participation of people whose identities, experiences, wisdoms, and languages stretch beyond Standard American English.”

But while Good’s bill acknowledges the benefits of the United States’ “rich diversity,” it also notes that, throughout U.S. history, the English language has been the “common thread binding individuals of differing backgrounds.”

Noting that the measure would also conserve federal funds, the congressman added, “It is also in the best interests of our legal immigrants, as proficiency in English helps them assimilate into our culture, succeed in the workplace, and reach their greatest potential.”

ProEnglish, an advocacy group that promotes adopting English as the official national language, praised Good’s efforts Friday, noting:

“We appreciate the Congressman’s commitment to cutting unnecessary government expense and at the same time his desire to encourage all of our citizens to be assimilated into our great country. We believe the promotion of English as the language of record for all government business is sound government at its best.”