NEWEST IMMIGRANTS TO THE UNITED STATES, UNLIKE THEIR PREDECESSORS, ARE NOT LEARNING ENGLISH. FOR EXAMPLE, OVER 10 MILLION AMERICANS CAN SPEAK ONLY SPANISH AND, IF CURRENT TRENDS CONTINUE, BY THE YEAR 2030 MORE THAN HALF OF CALIFORNIA'S POPULATION WILL BE SPANISH-SPEAKING. SIMILAR PROBLEMS ARE DEVELOPING WITH OTHER, SMALLER, IMMIGRANT GROUPS. WE ARE WITNESSING A DANGEROUS DEVELOPMENT IN THE CULTURAL HISTORY OF OUR NATION: THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS ENDORSING AND SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTILINGUAL UNITED STATES. FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES SPEND $138 BILLION A YEAR ON BILINGUAL EDUCATION. THEY PRODUCE WELL OVER 2,000 PUBLICATIONS IN 32 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES EACH YEAR. THE POLICIES THAT MAKE THOSE PRACTICES POSSIBLE ARE THE DIRECT RESULT OF SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS THAT ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN STRICT ETHNIC IDENTITIES THROUGH A DE-EMPHASIS OF ENGLISH. IN THE EROSION OF ENGLISH AS THE PRIMARY LANGUAGE OF THE UNITED STATES CAN BE SEEN IN MANY CITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. SOME MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS, ENGLISH HAS BECOME A SECOND LANGUAGE. SOME CITIES EVEN PUBLISH ELECTION BALLOTS IN SEVERAL LANGUAGES SO AS TO ACCOMODATE CITIZENS WHO CANNOT READ ENGLISH. THE PROMOTERS OF SUCH POLICIES IGNORE THE FACTS THAT NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING PERSONS THEORETICALLY COULD NOT HAVE PASSED THE NATURALIZATION EXAMINATION, WHICH REQUIRES ENGLISH COMPENTENCY, AND THAT IT IS DIFFICULT FOR NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING VOTERS TO EXAMINE THE QUALIFICATIONS OF CANDIDATES SINCE CAMPAIGNS AND MOST MEDIA COVERAGE USE THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. THE GROWING PROBLEM OF ILLITERACY IN ENGLISH IS SHOWN BY EVERY CENSUS. IN 1970, ONLY 8 MILLION AMERICANS SPOKE A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH AT HOME, BUT BY 1980 THAT FIGURE HAD INCREASED TO 20 MILLION. THE CURRENT POLICY OF PROVIDING VENACULAR BALLOTS FOR IMMIGRANT AMERICANS PROVIDES NO INCENTIVE TO THEM TO LEARN ENGLISH. IN FACT, BY CONDONING GOVERNMENT SPONSORED BILINGUALISM, THE U.S. IS DISCOURAGING FOREIGN-BORN AMERICANS FROM LEARNING ENGLISH. COMMAND OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IS INDISPUTABLY A QUALITY THAT ONE MUST POSSESS TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL IN OUR COUNTRY. AMERICAN BUSINESS IS CONDUCTED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY IN ENGLISH. NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING TRADESMEN OPERATE AT A SEVERE DISADVANTAGE TO THEIR ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTERPARTS. "YOU'D HAVE TO BE A DAMNED FOOL NOT TO REALIZE THAT ENGLISH IS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE," NOTED HISPANIC LEADER RALPH HURTADO. "IF YOU DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH, YOU'RE A DISHWASHER." THE BILINGUAL POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT IS DISCRIMINATORY IN NATURE. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR UPWARD MOBILITY IN A SOCIETY IF ONE DOES NOT SPEAK THE LANGUAGE. WERE ENGLISH TO BE MADE THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE UNITED STATES, HOWEVER, ALL IMMIGRANTS, ALL OUR CITIZENS, WOULD BE STIMULATED TO LEARN ENGLISH. THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAS SUGGESTED REPEATEDLY THAT MONEY NOW APPROPRIATED FOR BILINGUAL EDUCATION WOULD BE BETTER SPENT TEACHING CHILDREN TO SPEAK, READ, AND WRITE IN ENGLISH. THE DEPARTMENT BELIEVES THAT EFFORTS TO ASSIMILATE IMMIGRANT CHILDREN INTO AMERICAN SOCIETY BY TEACHING THEM IN THEIR NATIVE TONGUES OUTWEIGHS ANY ATTEMPTS TO STRESS THE INCONTROVERTABLE IMPORTANCE OF MASTERING ENGLISH. SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS USE PUBLIC SERVICES SUCH AS BILINGUAL EDUCATION TO HEIGHTEN THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF BELONGING TO ANOTHER HERITAGE RATHER THAN PREPARING THEIR CHILDREN FOR FULL AND SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPATION IN AMERICAN SOCIETY. MANY CIVIL LIBERTY GROUPS ARE CONCERNED THAT AN AMENDMENT TO MAKE ENGLISH THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE UNITED STATES WOULD DISCRIMINATE AGAINST NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING PEOPLES. SENATOR HUDDLESTON HAS PROVIDED ASSURANCES, HOWEVER, THAT AMERICANS WILL BE FREE TO USE THE LANGUAGES OF THEIR CHOICE, ALTHOUGH THE THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AMENDMENT WOULD NOT PROHIBIT OR DISCOURAGE THE USE OF OTHER LANGUAGES AND THE ENJOYMENT OF OTHER CULTURES IN PRIVATE CONTEXTS, SUCH AS IN HOMES, CHURCHES, COMMUNITIES, PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS, COMMERCE, AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS, NOR WOULD IT PROHIBIT THE TEACHING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN THE NATION'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES. MOREOVER, THE AMENDMENT WOULD NOT PREVENT THE USE OF A SECOND LANGUAGE FOR PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND SAFETY IN LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES. PASSAGE OF THE AMENDMENT WOULD HELP TO PRESERVE THE BASIC INTERNAL UNITY THAT IS REQUIRED FOR A STABLE AND GROWING NATION. MOST IMPORTANT, IT WOULD GIVE NATIONAL ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEM OF A LANGUAGE BARRIER THAT PLAGUES MILLIONS OF AMERICANS EACH YEAR. IT WOULD HELP SAVE LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT THEY NOW SPEND ON BILINGUAL EDUCATION THAT DUPLICATES OTHER PROGRAMS, AND ALLOW THEM TO CHANNEL THOSE FUNDS INTO MORE DESERVING EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS. SINCE VOTING BY CITIZENS IS THE METHOD OF CHOOSING ELECTED OFFICIALS AT ALL LEVELS AND IS THE ESSENTIAL FIRST STEP OUR PROCESS OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT, THE AMENDMENT WOULD PROHIBIT THE PRINTING OF BALLOTS IN ANY LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH. ADOPTION OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AMENDMENT WOULD DISCOURAGE DISCRIMINATION AND EXPLOITATION BY MAKING IT CLEAR TO IMMIGRANT PARENTS AND CHILDREN THAT LEARNING ENGLISH IS INDISPENSABLE FOR PARTICIPATION IN AMERICA'S SOCIETY AND ECONOMY. IT WOULD ASSIST IN SPEEDING THEM INTO THE MAINSTREAM OF OUR COUNTRY'S LIFE AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE. AMERICA IS A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS. OUR GREATNESS HAS STEMMED FROM OUR ABILITY TO ASSIMILATE VAST NUMBERS OF PEOPLE FROM MANY DIFFERENT CULTURES. WE HAVE HAD A COMMON LANGUAGE ON WHICH TO BUILD OUR SUCCESS. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE SENATE PASS THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AMENDMENT SO THAT THE UNITED STATES WILL REMAIN "ONE NATION. INDIVISIBLE." I COMMEND SENATOR HUDDLESTON FOR HIS LEADERSHIP IN INTRODUCING THE RESOLUTION, AND I COMMEND YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, FOR DRAWING ATTENTION TO A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE BY CONDUCTING TODAY'S HEARING. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. ww II = 98TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. J. RES. 167 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States with respect to the English language. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES SEPTEMBER 21 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 19), 1983 Mr. HUDDLESTON (for himself, Mr. BURDICK, Mr. SYMMS, Mr. RANDOLPH, and Mr. ZORINSKY) introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 1 JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States with respect to the English language. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives 2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled 3 (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the fol4 lowing article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitu5 tion of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents 6 and purposes as part of the Constitution if ratified by the 7 legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within 8 seven years after its submission to the States for ratification: |