PREPARED STATEMENT OF ARNOLDO S. TORRES

GOOD MORNING. FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS ARNOLDO S. TORRES, AND I AM THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS (LULAC), THE NATION'S OLDEST OLDEST AND LARGEST HISPANIC ORGANIZATION, WITH OVER 110,000 MEMBERS IN 43 STATES. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE CHAIRMAN FOR ALLOWING US ΤΟ APPEAR BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CONSTITUTION ON THE SUBJECT OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AMENDMENT, S.J. RES. 167.

WE APPEAR BEFORE YOU TODAY IN OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. OUR OPPOSITION TO THIS AMENDMENT IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF ANY EFFORTS TO SECEDE FROM THE UNITED STATES AS SOME WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE. OUR OPPOSITION STEMS FROM A BELIEF THAT THERE IS NO SOUND RATIONALE FOR SUCH AN AMENDMENT, WHEN IT IS COMMONLY KNOWN THAT ENGLISH HAS BEEN AND ALWAYS WILL BE THE OFFICIAL LANGAUGE OF THE UNITED STATES.

THEREFORE, THE QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED TODAY ARE THE FOLLOWING: WHY IS A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CREATING LANGUAGE NECESSẤY IN 1984? AND, WHAT IMPACT

A NATIONAL LANGUAGE

WILL IT HAVE?

PROPONENTS OF THIS INITIATIVE WOULD HAVE YOU THINK ETHNICITY" WRIT LARGE. ON THE CONTRARY, IT WAS REGARDED

AS SOMETHING NOVEL AND DISTINCTIVE; IT WAS ORIENTED TOWARD THE FUTURE RATHER THAN THE PAST; AND, MOST IMPORTANT, IT RESTED ON A COMMITMENT TO UNIVERSALIST POLITICAL AND SOCIAL PRINCIPLES RATHER THAN ON PARTICULARIST CULTURAL FEATURES SUCH AS LANGUAGE, RELIGION, OR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN...”

BECOME AN ANGLO-SAXON OR EVEN TO BE LIKE AN ANGLO-SAXON,

EXCEPT IN ADHERING TO THE PRINCIPLES OF FREEDOM, EQUALITY... AND IN REPUDIATING ALL FORMER POLITICAL ALLEGIANCE, ACCEPTING THE CONSTITUTION, AND OBEYING THE LAWS...

"...PROTESTANT AMERICANS OF BRITISH BACKGROUND

HAD IN FACT COMMITTED THE NATION TO A PRINCIPLE THAT MADE

IT

INCONSISTENT ΤΟ ERECT PARTICULARIST ETHNIC CRITERIA TESTS OF TRUE AMERICANISM..." (THERNSTROM, HARVARD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN ETHNIC GROUPS, P. 56).

INTO

ONCE AGAIN WE ASK, WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR THIS AMENDMENT? IS IT AN ATTEMPT TO ENSURE THAT INDIVIDUALS WILL LEARN TO SPEAK ENGLISH?

IF THIS IS TRUE, THEN WHY

ELIMINATE FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMS THAT TEACH ENGLISH? WHY NOT PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) AND BILINGUAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS?

OUR OPPONENTS WOULD SAY THAT BILINGUAL PROGRAMS DON'T WORK AND THAT THEY ARE THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM S.J.

RES. 167 IS ATTEMPTING TO CORRECT.
THAT THERE ARE A FEW
YET, THOSE FEW FAILURES ARE NOT
BILINGUAL PROGRAMS.

YES, WE WOULD AGREE

PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED IMPROPERLY.

AN INDICTMENT OF ALL

IN FACT, HERE IN WASHINGTON THERE IS AN EXECELLENT BILINGUAL PROGRAM CALLED THE OYSTER SCHOOL. ISN'T IT MORE CONSTRUCTIVE TO REVIEW SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS LIKE THE OYSTER SCHOOL, AND DETERMINE WHY THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL AND APPLY THAT SUCCESS PRINCIPLE TO OTHER BILINGUAL PROGRAMS?

THIS APPEARS ΤΟ BE A MORE RATIONAL APPROACH ΤΟ

THE "PROBLEM" WE'RE CONFRONTING,

MADE BY SUPPORTERS OF S.J. RES.
CANADA. HISPANICS ARE NOT USING

FOR SEPARATION.

DESPITE THE CONTENTIONS

167, THIS IS NOT QUEBEC,

LANGUAGE AS A MOTIVATION

FROM THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION TO BEIRUT, HISPANICS

HAVE ANSWERED AMERICA'S CALL TO PROTECT ITS SHORES. LET US NOT FORGET THAT IN 1917 PUERTO RICANS IN PUERTO RICO WERE GRANTED CITIZENSHIP IN TIME TO FIGHT IN WORLD WAR I, AND DID SO WITH HONOR. FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT HISPANIC AMERICANS' COMMITMENT TO THIS COUNTRY, WE WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO LEAD A CONTINGENT TO CONSTITUTION AVENUE TO READ THE HISPANIC SURNAMES ENGRAVED IN BLACK.

OR

WE COULD TRAVEL ACROSS THE RIVER AND STROLL THROUGH ARLINGTON CEMETARY.

IT IS INCONCEIVABLE TO US THAT A GROUP OF PEOPLE WOULD BE WILLING TO MAKE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR A COUNTRY IT WISHED TO REMAIN SEPARATE FROM. THE FACT OF THE MATTER THERE IS NO SEPARATIST MOVEMENT; SIMPLY

IS,

THE

GENTLEMEN,

FABRICATION OF A GROUP OF ZEALOTS WISHING TO MAKE A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL.

WHAT WILL AN

AMENDMENT OF THIS TYPE ACCOMPLISH? WILL IT ACTUALLY STOP THE SPREAD OF BILINGUALISM IN THIS COUNTRY? OR WILL IT SIMPLY SHIFT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF

PROVIDING BILINGUAL SERVICES FROM THE PUBLIC TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR?

WHAT IMPACT DOES THIS AMENDMENT HAVE ON U.S. TREATIES, PARTICULARLY THE TREATY OF GUADALUPE? THE TREATY OF GUADALUPE WAS SIGNED BY MEXICO AND THE UNITED STATES WHICH CEDED MUCH OF THE SOUTHWEST TO THE U.S. IT STRIPPED THOSE MEXICANS REMAINING ON U.S. SOIL OF THEIR MEXICAN CITIZENSHIP AND GRANTED U.S. CITIZENSHIP TO ANYONE REMAINING IN THIS NEW TERRITORY AFTER ONE YEAR. THE TREATY GAVE THESE NEW AMERICANS THE RIGHT TO MAINTAIN THEIR LANGUAGE AND THEIR CULTURE.

DO WE AUTOMATICALLY DISSOLVE THIS TREATY?

WE RENEGOTIATE IT?

OR DO

WE COME BACK TO OUR ORIGINAL QUESTION OF WHY A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CALLING FOR AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE IS NEEDED. WHAT IS THE MOTIVATING FORCE OF THIS AMENDMENT? Is IT ΤΟ ACCELERATE THE NATURALIZATION AND CITIZENSHIP PROCESS? OR, IS IT A MEASURE TO PREVENT THE NATURALIZATION AND GRANTING OF CITIZENSHIP TO THE NEW WAVE OF IMMIGRANTS? " THE HISTORY OF CITIZENSHIP HAS REVEALED THE CHANGING RELATIONSHIP OF THE INDIVIDUAL

STRUCTURE OF THE NATION...

CITIZEN TO THE POLITICAL

"...NATURALIZATION HAD BEEN A CASUAL AND INFORMAL PROCESS, BUT GRADUALLY CRUDE, RACIST CRITERIA AND UPGRADED NATURALIZATION STANDARDS WERE APPLIED ΤΟ ADMIT ONLY

"SUITABLE" ALIENS. THE PROCESS OF INCLUDING NEW PEOPLES
WAS TEMPERED BY FAVORITISM TOWARD THOSE THOUGHT TO BE MORE
RACIALLY COMPATIBLE AND BETTER PREPARED FOR CIVIC DUTIES.
THE UNFAMILIARITY OF SOME NEW IMMIGRANTS WITH DEMOCRATIC
GOVERNMENT, THEIR ACQUAINTANCE WITH MONARCHIAL REGIMES
AND AUTHORITARIAN RELIGIONS, AND THEIR IGNORANCE OF ENGLISH
CAST DOUBT ON THE MINDS OF NATIVISTS AS TO THEIR READINESS
FOR CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS.
YET,
"...EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT ALL ETHNIC GROUPS, GIVEN
TIME AND
HAD THE CAPACITY ΤΟ ASSIMILATE

ENCOURAGEMENT,

(THERNSTROM, P. 748).

INTO THE NATIONAL CIVIC CULTURE, AND SO U.S. CITIZENSHIP WAS OPENED TO ALL..." (THERNSTROM, P. 748).

THE QUESTION ONCE AGAIN ARISES: WHY DO

WE NEED

A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT DECLARING ENGLISH OUR OFFICIAL

LANGUAGE?

IT IS OUR BELIEF THAT THIS INITIATIVE IS A FRIVOLOUS ATTEMPT TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION.

THIS IS NOT THE 13TH

NOT THE 14TH AMENDMENT

CALLING FOR EQUAL PROTECTION LAWS.

THIS IS NOT THE 15TH

IT IS OUR BELIEF THAT THIS IS A BACKHANDED ATTEMPT TO FURTHER OSTRACIZE HISPANICS AND OTHER LANGUAGE MINORITIES FROM FULLY PARTICIPATING IN SOCIETY IN THE SAME WAY THAT JIM CROW LAWS OSTRACIZED BLACKS. IT IS THIS SEPARATIST MOVEMENT BY THESE "AMERICANS" THAT MUST BE STOPPED.

HISTORICALLY, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE SOUTH ATTEMPTED TO SECEDE FROM THE UNION WAS TO PERPETUATE THE SUBJUGATION OF A PARTICULAR GROUP OF PEOPLE. IT IS OUR FEAR THAT THE MOTIVATION BEHIND THE SOUTH'S ATTEMPT TO SECEDE IS THE SAME MOTIVATION BEHIND THIS INITIATIVE.

THANK YOU.

Mr. RADER. Thank you very much.

The chairman did ask me to pose just a few of his questions to both panelists.

First, what other countries have declared official languages, and was their declaration made by constitution or by statute?

Ms. BIKALES. I believe most of the Latin American countries have declared Spanish their official language. I know that Russia, for example, has declared Russian the official language. It has mostly been countries that do not have one dominant language, but have language minorities as well, and that relationship is then clarified. Mr. TORRES. Most of the countries of Latin America with the exception of Brazil, certain countries in Central America that have many indigenous languages and cultures, have usually used Spanish as the official language. I do not know specifically if any of the constitutions of these countries, in fact, carry with them that Spanish will be the official language. I have travelled extensively in Central America and in Mexico, because I have relatives there, and at no time have I ever been discriminated against because I speak English or the Spanish that is not always acceptable to my Mexican relatives.

Ms. BIKALES. I would say you would not be able to vote in English if you were to live there.