English-only movement, called also Official English movement by its supporters, refers to a political movement for the use only of English language in public occasions through the establishing of English as the explicitly only official language in the United States. There have been various unrelated incarnations of the movement throughout United States history. Politics is the process and method of decision-making for groups of human beings. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... An official language is a language that is given a privileged legal status in a state, or other legally-defined territory. ...

English and reasons behind "English-only movement"

President Theodore Roosevelt stated, "We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."^[1]

U.S. English, an advocate group for "Official English" summarizes their belief that "the passage of English as the official language will help to expand opportunities for immigrants to learn and speak English, the single greatest empowering tool that immigrants must have to succeed."^[2] U.S. English, Inc. ...

Earlier English-only movements

In 1803, as a result of the Louisiana Purchase, the United States acquired French-speaking populations in Louisiana. After the Mexican-American War, the United States acquired about 75,000 Spanish speakers in addition to several indigenous language-speaking populations. 1803 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... From Frank Bond, Louisiana and the Louisiana Purchase. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Combatants United States Mexico Commanders Zachary Taylor Winfield Scott Stephen W. Kearney Antonio López de Santa Anna Mariano Arista Pedro de Ampudia Strength 7,000 - 43,000 18,000 - 40,000 Casualties KIA: 1,733 Total dead: 13,283 Wounded: 4,152 25,000 killed or wounded (Mexican government... An Aani (Atsina) named Assiniboin Boy. ...

An 1847 law authorized Anglo-French instruction in public schools in Louisiana. In 1849, the California constitution recognized Spanish language rights. 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ...

French language rights were abolished after the American Civil War. In 1868, the Indian Peace Commission recommended English-only schooling for the Native Americans. In 1878–79, the California constitution was rewritten: "All laws of the State of California, and all official writings, and the executive, legislative, and judicial proceedings shall be conducted, preserved, and published in no other than the English language." Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Lincoln, President Ulysses S. Grant, General Jefferson Davis, President Robert E. Lee, General Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action... 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... An Atsina named Assiniboin Boy Native Americans in the United States (also known as Indians, American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Peoples, Aboriginal Peoples, Aboriginal Americans, Amerindians, Amerinds, or Original Americans) are the indigenous peoples within the territory that is now encompassed by the continental United States and their descendants in... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

In the late 1880s, Wisconsin and Illinois passed English-only instruction laws for both public and parochial schools. // Development and commercial production of electric lighting Development and commercial production of gasoline-powered automobile by Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Maybach First commercial production and sales of phonographs and phonograph recordings. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area  Ranked 23rd  - Total 65,498 sq mi (169,790 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 310 miles (500 km)  - % water 17  - Latitude 42°30N to 47°3N  - Longitude 86°49W to 92°54W Population  Ranked... Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 0 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ...

In 1896, under the Republic of Hawaii government, English became the sole medium of public schooling for Hawaiian children. After the Spanish-American War, English was declared "the official language of the school room" in Puerto Rico. In the same way, English was declared the official language in the Philippines, after the Philippine-American War. 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Combatants Image:US 45 05:40, 8 December 2006 (UTC)$$$@ United States Republic of Cuba First Philippine Republic Spain Commanders Nelson A. Miles William R. Shafter George Dewey Máximo Gómez Emilio Aguinaldo Patricio Montojo Pascual Cervera Casualties 379 U.S. dead; considerably higher although undetermined Cuban and Filipino... Combatants United States Philippines Commanders William McKinley Emilio Aguinaldo Strength 126,000 soldiers 80,000 soldiers Casualties 4,324 U.S. soldiers dead 2,000 Philippine Constabulary 16,000 soldiers killed est. ...

During World War I, there was a widespread campaign against the use of the German language in the U.S. including removing books in the German language from libraries.^[3] Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire France Italy Russia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Commanders Ferdinand Foch Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Paul... German (called Deutsch in German; in German the term germanisch is equivalent to English Germanic), is a member of the western group of Germanic languages and is one of the worlds major languages. ...

The modern English-only movement

• 1980: Dade County, Florida, voters approved an "anti-bilingual ordinance."
• 1981: English was declared the official language in the state of Virginia.
• 1983: Dr. John Tanton and Senator S. I. Hayakawa founded a political lobbying organization, U.S. English. (Tanton was a former head of the Sierra Club's population committee and of Zero Population Growth, and founder of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), an immigration reductionist group.)
• 1986
  • Tanton wrote a memo containing remarks about Hispanics claimed by critics to be derogatory, which appeared in the Arizona Republic newspaper, leading to the resignations from U.S. English of board member Walter Cronkite and executive director Linda Chavez; Tanton would also sever his ties to the organization as a result.
  • Larry Pratt founded English First, while Lou Zaeske established the American Ethnic Coalition.
• 1994: Tanton and other former U.S. English associates founded ProEnglish specifically to defend Arizona's English-only law. ProEnglish rejects the term "English-only movement" and asks its supporters to refer to the movement instead as "Official English".[1]
• 2006: The U.S. Senate voted for two separate amendments to make English the national language and to make it the common unifying language of the country.

1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been suggested that Rest of Virginia be merged into this article or section. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... John H. Tanton, M.D. is a retired eye surgeon from Petoskey, Michigan, the founder of U.S. English, the founding chairman of ProEnglish, and publisher of The Social Contract Press, serving as editor for its first eight years. ... Samuel Ichiye Hayakawa (July 18, 1906–February 27, 1992) was an English professor and academic who served as a United States Senator from California from 1977 to 1983. ... U.S. English, Inc. ... The Sierra Club is an American environmental organization founded on May 28, 1892 in San Francisco, California by the well-known conservationist John Muir, who became its first president. ... Population Connection is an organization in the United States, formerly known as Zero Population Growth. ... The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is an immigration reduction organization in the United States, founded in 1979 by John Tanton. ... Immigration reduction refers to movements active within the United States that advocate a reduction in the amount of immigration allowed into the United States or other countries. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hispanic, as used in the United States, is one of several terms used to categorize US citizens, permanent residents and temporary immigrants, whose background hail either from the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America or relating to a Spanish-speaking culture. ... The Arizona Republic is a newspaper published in Phoenix, Arizona. ... Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. ... Linda Chavez (born June 17, 1947 in Albuquerque, New Mexico) is a prominent Hispanic-American conservative author, commentator, and radio talk show host. ... This article should appear in one or more categories. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... ProEnglish is a non-profit organization which lobbies for the use of the English language in the United States. ... It has been suggested that Arizona Governors Mansion be merged into this article or section. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Criticism

The modern English-only movement has met with rejection from the Linguistic Society of America, which passed a resolution in 1986–87 opposing "'English only' measures on the grounds that they are based on misconceptions about the role of a common language in establishing political unity, and that they are inconsistent with basic American traditions of linguistic tolerance."^[4] And linguist Geoffrey Pullum in an essay entitled "Here come the linguistic fascists" charges English First with "hatred and suspicion of aliens and immigrants" and points out that English is far from under threat in the United States, saying "making English the official language of the United States of America is about as urgently called for as making hotdogs the official food at baseball games."^[5] The Linguistic Society of America (LSA) is an organization devoted to the scientific study of human language, and is the major professional society for linguistic researchers in North America and beyond. ... Professor Geoffrey K. Pullum (born in 1945 in Irvine, Scotland) is a linguist specialising in the study of English. ... A selection of gourmet hot dogs. ... A view of the playing field at Busch Stadium II St. ...

Samuel Francis criticized the modern movement on the grounds that official English laws are, in his words, "ineffective symbolic measures".^[6] Samuel Todd Francis (April 29, 1947 – February 15, 2005) was a nationally syndicated paleoconservative columnist known for his opposition to immigration, multiculturalism, and his involvement in debates concerning other controversial issues of the day. ...

The English Only movement has been criticized for being xenophobic, such as eliminating people that speak foreign languages and imposing penalties for those that speak a foreign language in public.^[7] Xenophobia means fear of strangers or the unknown and comes from the Greek ξενοφοβια, xenophobia, literally meaning fear of the strange. It is often used to describe fear of or dislike of foreigners, but racism in general is sometimes described as a...

Current law

States where English is the official language

Currently, although all the official documents in the U.S. are written in English, the United States federal government does not specify explicitly an official language, but there are official languages in these states: Image File history File links Download high resolution version (841x580, 19 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Languages in the United States Official English movement ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (841x580, 19 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Languages in the United States Official English movement ...

• English alone:
  • Alabama (1990)
  • Arizona (2006)
  • Arkansas (1987)
  • California (1986)
  • Colorado (1988)
  • Florida (1988)
  • Georgia (1996)
  • Illinois (1969)
  • Indiana (1984)
  • Iowa (2002)
  • Kentucky (1984)
  • Massachusetts (1975)
  • Mississippi (1987)
  • Missouri (1998)
  • Montana (1995)
  • Nebraska (1920)
  • New Hampshire (1995)
  • North Carolina (1987)
  • North Dakota (1987)
  • South Carolina (1987)
  • South Dakota (1995)
  • Tennessee (1984)
  • Utah (2000)
  • Virginia (1996)
  • Wyoming (1996)

• English and Hawaiian:
  • Hawaii (1978)
• English and French:
  • Louisiana

• English and Spanish:
  • New Mexico [2]
• "English Plus" resolutions:
  • New Mexico (1989)
  • Oregon (1989)
  • Rhode Island (1992)
  • Washington (1989)

• None:
  • In addition to the states not otherwise mentioned:
  • Alaska's 1998 Official English amendment was overturned by the Alaska State Supreme Court in 2002.
  • Arizona's 1988 Official English amendment was overturned by the Arizona State Supreme Court in April, 1998. It was reinstated by voters in November, 2006.
  • West Virginia passed a law in 2005 but it was rescinded due to a technical flaw.

Also, English and Spanish are official in Puerto Rico. English and Chamorro are the official languages of Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  Ranked 30th  - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 km²)  - Width 190 miles (306 km)  - Length 330 miles (531 km)  - % water 3. ... It has been suggested that Arizona Governors Mansion be merged into this article or section. ... Official language(s) English Capital Little Rock Largest city Little Rock Area  Ranked 29th  - Total 53,179 sq mi (137,732 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 261 miles (420 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area  Ranked 8th  - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 km²)  - Width 280 miles (451 km)  - Length 380 miles (612 km)  - % water 0. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 0 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area  Ranked 38th  - Total 36,418 sq mi (94,321 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 270 miles (435 km)  - % water 1. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area  Ranked 44th  - Total 10,555 sq mi (27,360 km²)  - Width 183 miles (295 km)  - Length 113 miles (182 km)  - % water 13. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) English Capital Lincoln Largest city Omaha Area  Ranked 16th  - Total 77,421 sq mi (200,520 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Concord Largest city Manchester Area  Ranked 46th  - Total 9,359 sq mi (24,239 km²)  - Width 68 miles (110 km)  - Length 190 miles (305 km)  - % water 3. ... This article is the current U.S. Collaboration of the Week. ... Official language(s) English Capital Bismarck Largest city Fargo Area  Ranked 19th  - Total 70,762 sq mi (183,272 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 340 miles (545 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston(1670-1789) Columbia(1790-present) Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Area  Ranked 40th  - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 260 miles (420 km)  - % water 6  - Latitude 32°430N to 35... Official language(s) English Capital Pierre Largest city Sioux Falls Area  Ranked 17th  - Total 77,163 sq mi (199,905 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 380 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... Official language(s) English Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Largest metro area Nashville Area  Ranked 36th  - Total 42,169 sq mi (109,247 km²)  - Width 120 miles (195 km)  - Length 440 miles (710 km)  - % water 2. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the lead section of this article may need to be expanded. ... It has been suggested that Rest of Virginia be merged into this article or section. ... Official language(s) English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Area  Ranked 10th  - Total 97,818 sq mi (253,348 km²)  - Width 280 miles (450 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 0. ... The Hawaiian language is an Austronesian language that takes its name from that of the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Area  Ranked 5th  - Total 121,665 sq mi (315,194 km²)  - Width 342 miles (550 km)  - Length 370 miles (595 km)  - % water 0. ... English Plus is an American movement to encourage English-only speakers to learn other languages. ... Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Area  Ranked 5th  - Total 121,665 sq mi (315,194 km²)  - Width 342 miles (550 km)  - Length 370 miles (595 km)  - % water 0. ... Official language(s) None Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 9th  - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 2. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) None Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Area  Ranked 18th  - Total 71,342 sq mi (184,824 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 6. ... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area  Ranked 1st  - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,855 km²)  - Width 808 miles (1,300 km)  - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km)  - % water 13. ... It has been suggested that Arizona Governors Mansion be merged into this article or section. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Area  Ranked 41st  - Total 24,244 sq mi (62,809 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 240 miles (385 km)  - % water 0. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

See also

• Bilingual education
• English as a second language
• Languages in the United States
• List of countries where English is an official language
• Spanish in the United States

Bilingual education involves teaching all subjects in school through two different languages - in the United States, instruction occurs in English and a minority language, such as Spanish or Chinese, with varying amounts of each language used in accordance with the program model. ... English as an additional language is used to refer to the learning of English by speakers of other languages. ... // Although the United States currently has no official language, it is largely monolingual with English being the de facto national language. ... The following is a list of sovereign states and territories where English is an official language, in order of population. ... Spanish language spread in the United States. ...

References

1. ^ Roosevelt Quote from CNN Lou Dobbs
2. ^ us-english.org "Background of organization"
3. ^ Martin, James J (1988). An American Adventure in Bookburning in the Style of 1918. Ralph Myles Publisher.
4. ^ http://www.lsadc.org/info/lsa-res-english.cfm
5. ^ Pullum, Geoffrey K. (1987). "Here come the linguistic fascists.". Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 5: 603–9. Reprinted in (1991) The Great Eskimo Vocabulary Hoax and Other Irreverent Essays on the Study of Language. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 111–19. ISBN 0-226-68534-9.
6. ^ Francis, Samuel T. (2002). America Extinguished.
7. ^ White Supremacy On My Mind: Learning To Undermine Racism. Infoshop.org.

James J. Martin (September 18, 1916 - April 4, 2004) was an American historian. ... Professor Geoffrey K. Pullum (born in 1945 in Irvine, Scotland) is a linguist specialising in the study of English. ... Samuel Todd Francis (April 29, 1947 – February 15, 2005) was a nationally syndicated paleoconservative columnist known for his opposition to immigration, multiculturalism, and his involvement in debates concerning other controversial issues of the day. ...

External links

• U.S. English (advocates for English Only)
• Anatomy of the English-Only Movement, by James Crawford
• Lingo Jingo: English Only and the New Nativism, by Geoffrey Nunberg
• Iowa Passes "English Only" Measure (2/27/02)
• English-Only Movement: Its Consequences on the Education of Language Minority Children
• Language Legislation in the U.S.A.
• Statements and legal actions against English-only law by the American Civil Liberties Union