Earlier this month, Mauro Mujica, the head of the organization U.S. English, praised West Virginia’s H.B. 2573, which would require that all official state business be conducted in English, calling it an “important policy for the good of all state residents.” This is the same man who wrote a disturbing editorial in which he said:
I recently received a notice from the Montgomery Board of Elections informing me that my polling place had changed due to redistricting. While I appreciate the information, I was dismayed to see that the materials I received are all printed in two languages—the English text is mirrored with Spanish translations…Providing foreign language translations removes the incentive for immigrants to learn English.
While alarmists like Mr. Mujica claim that foreign languages pose a threat to English in the U.S., the truth is that the greatest threat is English displacing other languages. With each successive generation, fewer and fewer descendants of immigrants speak their ancestors’ languages. Often by the third generation, most can’t speak it at all. That’s why it is necessary for us to protect non-English languages in the U.S.
Promoting multilingualism fosters diversity. When we speak more than one language, it opens us up to new ways of thinking and appreciation of other cultures. Speaking more than one language also helps us educate our society. Studies show that bilingual people function at a higher level cognitively. They have more flexible thinking and are able to display greater empathy. Multilingualism would strengthen our economy. We live in an increasingly interconnected world in which business is no longer limited by local or national boundaries. Speaking more than one language would allow Americans to conduct business with people around the world. And we must use our many languages to protect civil rights. Americans who don’t speak English fluently need government services and sometimes need interpreters or other tools in order to be able to fully participate as residents or citizens of this country.
In order to promote and protect non-English languages in the U.S., we must take concrete steps. In areas with a significant non-English speaking population, let’s make public signage bilingual. We should provide all government documents and websites in the five most commonly spoken languages in a given jurisdiction. The government should provide interpreters and language access for all government interactions when requested, be they legal proceedings, immigration courts, or any other situation.
Our efforts must extend to schools as well. All American schools should be at least bilingual. Multilingual education is the norm in countries like Switzerland (which has four official languages). The language in our schools can of course vary from place to place with input from local communities, but the important thing is that every American will come out of our school system with a world-class education that gives them the opportunity to either preserve their mother tongue or learn a new one.
In addition, we should establish a national certificate for bilingual proficiency for high school graduates, be they native speakers or second language learners. Many states and local school systems have already implemented this policy to reward bilingual students—why not make it national? And when those high schoolers go on to college, why don’t we set up bilingual education tracks at universities or establish a bilingual university like University of Ottawa?
Let’s also remember that not all American languages are immigrant languages. We must provide more funding to Native American schools that teach native languages; this should include Native Hawaiians and other groups that are not recognized as tribes but are still working to preserve their languages (and if they want to be, should be recognized as sovereign tribes). We must provide funding to school districts for language-learning travel, such as a student studying Spanish traveling to Mexico or South Texas with a school group. Skype-pals or pen pals could be part of the curriculum for these trips to encourage students to build relationships across borders. Let’s also not forget that American immigrants are not just a group to be assimilated but rather a rich cultural resource. We should use their linguistic skills to help teach the languages other Americans are learning.
Our government also has a role to play in this process. We must finally pass comprehensive immigration reform, as this will avoid tearing apart many of our multilingual families. We should give federal, state and local government employees (that includes teachers!) a bonus for passing a bilingual proficiency exam in recognition that multilingualism in our government benefits the citizens it serves. Now is the time to repeal all English-only or Official English ordinances, as they restrict people’s ability to access important services in their native languages and demean people who speak non-English languages. Our government should also establish an official day to celebrate our linguistic diversity: National Bilingualism Day. We should fuel this movement by establishing awards to honor multilingualism advocates across the country. Also, our tax money funds public media for all Americans. NPR, PBS, and other publicly funded media should include a portion of their time in non-English languages.
How do we get started on this project? Let’s convene progressive-minded groups: Latinos, Asians, Africans, Native Americans, Cajuns, Creoles, polyglots, educators, and other allies to push for the changes outlined in this document. The United States has always been a multilingual country. It’s time we make it “official.”
Matt Adler is a multilingual progressive activist who has served as a Obama Campaign staffer, DNC delegate, and Administration official. In addition, he has worked at numerous immigrant rights advocacy organizations.
