President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 1 declaring English as the official language of the United States.
The order, unique to the nation’s 250-year history, stated that, “From the founding of our Republic, English has been used as our national language,” and that all the nation’s historic governing documents have been written in English.
“It is therefore long past time that English is declared as the official language of the United States,” the order reads.
“A nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society, and the United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exchange ideas in one shared language.”
It rescinded a federal mandate by President Bill Clinton that required any agencies receiving federal money to provide language assistance to those who do not speak English.
Meanwhile, it allows agencies to maintain practices of providing documents in services in other languages “but encourages new Americans to adopt a national language that opens doors to greater opportunities.”
“Agencies will have the flexibility to decide how and when to offer services in languages other than English to best service the American people and fulfill their agency mission,” a White House fact sheet on the order obtained by The Epoch Times reads, also noting that English is the most widely used of the 350 different languages spoken across the country.
“Establishing English as the official language promotes unity, establishes efficiency in government operations, and creates a pathway for civic engagement.”
Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, promoted bilingualism during his term and, in some cases, provided more resources and accommodations to those still learning English.
Biden’s Department of Education secretary, Miguel Cardona, used his final days in office to push to states and school districts a dual instruction plan by which class time in all subjects would be split between English and a foreign language.
The order outlines a policy approach that diverges from the focus of powerful lobby groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, which has pushed for more federally funded translation services to assist immigrants, teacher unions, and various other civil rights organizations.
The League of United Latin American Citizens stated that making English the nation’s official language “contradicts the founding principles of our nation” and that “America is stronger when we embrace multilingualism.”
“America thrives when we embrace inclusivity, not when we silence the voices of millions who contribute to its success,” said Roman Palomares, the league’s national president.
The fact sheet of the new order notes that 180 nations have an official language and that at least 30 U.S. states and five territories have English as their official language.
“This order celebrates multilingual Americans who have learned English and passed it down while empowering immigrants to achieve the American Dream through a common language,” the fact sheet reads.
