Posted on 05/20/2018 1:55:26 PM PDT by sodpoodle
Aaron Schlossberg, a lawyer in New York, was caught on camera berating staff members of a restaurant for speaking Spanish with customers.
A lot of multilingual countries promote an official language, but the United States has never done so with English. In fact, the US has no official language.
"The Founding Fathers didn't see a need to declare one," Dr. Wayne Wright, a professor of language and literacy at Purdue University, told CNN.
"English was pretty much the dominant language of the United States at the time and they didn't want to offend their fellow Americans who helped fight for independence."
In fact, common languages spoken throughout the 13 colonies included Dutch, French and German, not to mention the many languages spoken by Native Americans. Still, trying to force people in the US to speak English is not new.
Enslaved Africans were forbidden from using their native languages (and at the same time forbidden from learning how to read and write English) because slaveowners feared they would incite rebellions.
Native American children were forced to attend boarding schools where they were punished for speaking their own languages. And many Japanese schools started by immigrants in Hawaii were forced to shut down during World War II.
'English is not under threat'
There's no question that English is the de facto language of the United States.
It's the language of government documents, court proceedings and business contracts. Immigrants feel an immense pressure to learn it. Most people in the US only speak English. But that hasn't stopped some lawmakers from trying to ensure English is used above all other languages.
In 1981, US Sen. S.I. Hayakawa of California introduced an amendment to do just that. It failed.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
A common language promotes unity.
This is why usurpers do not want English promoted. As our common language.
A united country is stronger than a divided country.
Official, no. Predominant, yes - throughout its history.
This is typical disingenuous leftist sophistry.
Excellent point!
Yep! Tenth Amendment.
“For English, press one...”
Not twelve.
Neither was the Declaration of Independence
Yeah, but in Australia a toilet is a “Dunny.” Who could ever guess? Just one example of a strange language called “english.”
Baloney! A COMMON LANGUAGE is a unifying factor and avoids misinterpretation. It also avoids expenses incurred by printing in various languages.
As well as in most of the world's business community. Ever look at the directions sheet that came with your electronic goody? Many are multi-lingual and in all cases that I have seen, the English instructions are the shortest, most concise. If for no other reason that is why English is the current lingua franca in that time-is-money environment.
Common language might be unifying but an official language does not make a common language. Again, look at all the states that have declared English their official language. They’re still printing stuff in other languages. An official language declaration is simply spitting in the wind.
For that matter, the Star-Spangled Banner only became the official national anthem in 1930. Thanks sodpoodle.
It seems common that nowadays every article telling us what to think or how to behave is written by nonwestern foreigner who does not possess our values.
Odd, that.
It’s almost as if we are being conditioned.
THE USA Should make English the offical language of the Republic, BUT Spanish should be made the official second language of the Nation (Look at the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo 1848)No other languages! All documents in English or Spanish No other languages! Millions of People Speak Spanish, We have history with them.
+1
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