2: “Text – H.R.997 – 115th Congress (2017-2018): English Language Unity Act of 2017” (March 2, 2017)

This bill, titled the English Language Unity Act of 2017, aimed to declare English as the official language of the United States and establish a uniform English language rule for naturalization. The issue of English as the national language has been present since the founding of the United States. Clearly, it is still an issue for some. In recent years, more visible examples of this ideology of English only have been in the spotlight with comments from former president Donald Trump on the importance of English in the United States, like those frequently repeated during his 2016 Presidential Campaign. Besides highly known figures such as Trump, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of videos were posted of individuals, coined “Karens”, making racist statements, including “this is America, speak English.” This proposed bill is less than ten years old but echoes attitudes around a national language perpetuated as early as 1753 when Benjamin Franklin expressed concerns around English becoming a minority language.

It is important to note that the issue of English as a national language and a requirement for naturalization is rarely brought up in conversation around non Latino immigrants. There are no notable instances of individuals being shouted at or statements being made against the practice of someone’s native tongue if the individual is speaking German, Russian, or Italian. This conversation most often occurs surrounding people speaking Spanish. In advocating for the proposed English Language Unity Act of 2017, individuals noted that “[t]hroughout the history of the United States, the common thread binding individuals of differing backgrounds has been the English language.” However, protests against this act and the English only movement in general assert that the United States is a diverse country with many prominent cultures and languages and it is impossible to declare English as a national language because of that diversity. This type of conflict still occurring today is simply another reason why discussing the 1975 Voting Rights Act Extension and Expansion is so important. We see the progress made as well as the progress that has yet to be made. The expansion of the 1975 ruling addressed major concerns among language minorities unable to fully participate as citizens, but it clearly did not solve the problem around the acceptance of bilingualism in the United States. Latinos who are Spanish speakers continue to fight for their right to preserve the language so important to their culture and customs.

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Congress.gov. “Text – H.R.997 – 115th Congress (2017-2018): English Language Unity Act of 2017.” March 2, 2017. https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/997/text.