English-only proponents push legislation

The “English-only” Movement began in the early 1980s as an effort to change national immigration law and bilingual services. While the loose affiliation of political organizations within this “movement” have had most of their success at the state level, changes in federal policy have been occurring at a steady, if glacial, pace.

In the 1980s, the movement portrayed immigrants, mainly from Latin America and Asia, as a main cause of the country’s economic downturn and social and political pressures. Two organizations rose to national prominence in their quest to create legislation to make English the official language of the country and limit or end bilingual education and multi-language services by government agencies, federally-funded organizations, and even private businesses.

U.S.ENGLISH, Inc. (based in Washington, DC) and English First (of Springfield, VA) boast some heady accomplishments, numerous electoral victories, Congressional supporters, and powerful board members, including California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, on their respective websites.

 For example, according to U.S. ENGLISH, 27 states have passed “English-only” laws, including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The organization claims 1.7 million members.

Another political force in the “English-only” camp is one-time Republican candidate for California governor and computer software millionaire Ron Unz. In 1998 Unz successfully championed Proposition 227, the initiative to end bilingual education in California, and he has financed and supported similar successful campaigns in Arizona and Massachusetts.

The movement has suffered some notable defeats as well, however. While Massachusetts outlawed bilingual education in 2002, Colorado voters rejected the “English for Children” initiative, tailored after California’s Proposition 227. Although a federal district judge in Utah upheld the state’s law that made English its official language in March 2001, the judge also ruled that government workers and elected officials could continue to conduct some business in non-English languages, such as non-English drivers’ license exams.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), bilingual education specialists and teachers, and other civil rights advocates immediately responded to “English-only” legislation with their own campaign. The ACLU sees such legislation as attacks on immigrants’ and minorities’ rights to fair trials, voting, public meetings, education, employment, and health services.

The ACLU says,  “Today, as in the past, ‘English-only’ laws in the U.S. are founded on false stereotypes of immigrant groups. Such laws do not simply disparage the immigrants’ native languages but assault the rights of the people who speak the languages.”

Alaskan Native Peoples, represented by the Native American Rights Fund, and the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) have also taken stands against “English-only” legislation recently. They say that “English-only” legislation would limit use of Native languages for government business. They see such laws as a clear infringement of free speech rights and another case of “cultural genocide” forced upon American Indians and Alaska Natives. English-only advocates deny these charges.

At its 2000 national convention in St. Paul, MN, NCAI passed a resolution opposing English-only language education for Native children in public schools, according to the NCAI website. The NCAI resolution named Proposition 227 author Unz in its resolution and warned of the dangers that English language legislation posed to Indian Country.

The English-only proponents have taken their battle to the U.S. Congress. In 2003 Rep. Steve King (R-IA) introduced the English Language Unity Act of 2003 that would make English the official language of the United States. In a website press release, U.S.ENGLISH Chairman and CEO Mauro Mujica says the bill is gaining momentum and has 102 co-sponsors in Congress. If passed, the bill “would call upon the government to conduct all laws, public proceedings, regulations, publications, orders, actions, programs, and policies in the English language.”

Juan A. Avila Hernandez is Yoeme-Yoi. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of History at the University of California-Davis and a former reporter with the Center For Investigative Reporting in San Francisco.