President Trump designated English as the official language of the United States through an executive order signed on March 1.
This controversial order reverses decades of federal policy originating under the Clinton administration in 2000 in the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act where language assistance became required for non-English speakers. Although the United States has historically not designated a national language, upwards of 30 states already recognize English as their official language including California and New Hampshire.
“In welcoming new Americans, a policy of encouraging the learning and adoption of our national language will make the United States a shared home and empower new citizens to achieve the American dream,” The White House said in a statement. “Speaking English not only opens doors economically, but it helps newcomers engage in their communities, participate in national traditions, and give back to our society.”
With more than 42 million Spanish speakers and 3 million Chinese speakers currently residing in the United States, this executive order could limit the access to services and education programs for millions. While this order did not outright ban multilingual services, these services are no longer required, meaning local and state governments will now be in control of such policies.
“A lot of Spanish speakers rely on federal governments to get information and this could change the dynamics of this,” Spanish teacher Horacio Ballesteros said. “Almost all people in this country are bilingual and speak different languages in their family — how are they going to continue?”
With the potential for the promotion of bilingual language learning to suffer, future generations could lose out on the benefits of multilingualism. Experts warn that this order could lead to lower workforce participation for non-English speakers and may widen economic disparities.
“This executive order, while framed as promoting unity, risks dismantling critical supports like ESL programs and multilingual resources that help immigrants adapt and contribute,” Co-founder and CEO of the Hispanic Construction Council George Carrillo told Vanity Fair. “Imagine families navigating healthcare or legal systems without materials in a language they understand, it’s a barrier, not a bridge.”
