The English Only Question: An Official Language for Americans?

Should the United States declare its official language? The English question, which has plagued American citizens since the founding of the country, is the focus of heated debate, with an Language Amendment to the Constitution pending in Congress since 1981. This book provides an historically based discussion of this issue. The author explores the philosophical, legal, political, educational, and sociological implications of the official-English movement, tracing the history of American attitudes toward and minority languages during the past two centuries. He describes how battles to save or minority languages have been fought in the press, the schools, the courts, and the legislatures of the country. According to Baron, the impulse to impose and limit other languages has repeatedly arisen during periods of political or economic ferment, when non-English speakers have been targeted as subversive, unemployable, or otherwise resistant to assimilation. However, says the author, many supporters of the Language Amendment are not xenophobic but are people who believe in the ideal of one language for one nation and who argue that mastery of is the only way to succeed in America. He discusses the recent background of the Language Amendment, explains the arguments on each side, and assesses its future.