Response - "Should English Be the Law?"
Robert D. King's essay "Should English Be the Law?" raises many interesting questions about the role of language in American society, and society in general. From a reactionary standpoint, the idea of there being a 'language riot' can be a very strange one: "The very idea of language as a political force -- as something that might threaten to split a country wide apart -- is alien to our way of thinking and to our cultural traditions" (King, 1997). For many Americans, we take our language for granted; often, we just expect people to know English, and to use that in their common interactions with others. However, we underestimate just how many people of different races and backgrounds in this country there are. Latin Americans form a substantial number of our population, to the point where they are nearly the majority in Southwestern states like California. With this in mind, I feel it is a bit premature and shortsighted to advocate for English Only legislation.
The protection of freedoms may not necessarily state that all languages are free, but it also doesn't state that there should be an official language. "The Constitution is silent on language: the Founding Fathers had no need to legislate that English be the official language of the country" (King, 1997).
When it comes to those who advocate having an 'English-only' America, there are many ulterior motives that are not explicitly mentioned. "Many issues intersect in the controversy over Official English: immigration (above all), the rights of minorities (Spanish-speaking minorities in particular), the pros and cons of bilingual education, tolerance, how best to educate the children of immigrants, and the place of cultural diversity in school curricula and in American society in general" (King, 1997). With these things in mind, it can be clear that there is a bit of racial discomfort to be found. Many people who advocate for 'English Only' legislation seem to simply be uncomfortable with the potential to interact with someone whose language they don't speak. In my mind, it borders on xenophobia, and a general lack of willingness to accept or learn from others of a different culture. "Official English obviously has a lot to do with concern about immigration, perhaps especially Hispanic immigration" (King, 1997).
In order to pick up new aspects of culture from others, and learn about them, allowing their language to remain is paramount. "In much of the world, ethnic unity and cultural identification are routinely defined by language" (King, 1997). As foreign cultures are conveyed and identified chiefly through their language, it can often be the only way in which to truly appreciate what Hispanic, African, Asian or European cultures have to offer to the great American experiment. "Language is a convenient surrogate for nonlinguistic claims that are often awkward to articulate, for they amount to a demand for more political and economic power" (King, 1997). Essentially, by using a native language, it involves a greater deal of effort from English speakers to meet them halfway, when they would much rather everyone else adapt to the way that they work.
Making America English-only will not bolster or unify American identity; this does not solve the issue of how other multilingual countries manage to make it work. "The answer is that India, like Switzerland, has a strong national identity" (King, 1997). These countries are able to find other ways to differentiate themselves besides their language - no matter what language Indians speak, they still have the caste system and religion, and other cultural memes, to carry through their cultural identity. With this in mind, there is nothing really to worry about, as we have many different aspects of our culture that make us uniquely American. Failing to gain a single language will not help us do that; if anything, it will just segregate those of us who live here further.
Basically, I see America as a land that should value its diversity; that is the very thing that made it the country it is today. From its humble beginnings, with Europeans settling in the 1600s and 1700s, to the immigrant boom of the early 20th century, America has firmly established itself as a 'melting pot' of all cultures. Language can be an important part of that culture, and those who wish to hold onto it should be able to. "I suggest that we relax and luxuriate in our linguistic richness and our traditional tolerance of language differences. Language does not threaten American unity" (King, 1997). There are many things that can be learned from people of different cultures, and suppressing their language is just one way to encourage strict conformism and English superiority over those who do not speak the language.
Works Cited
King, Robert D. "Should English Be the Law?" The Atlantic Online. Web. Apr. 1997.
