english official language of US?

Question

I was having a conversation with someone and I told them US had no national language. They said a law had been passed, i've been looking around and some people are saying that a law was passed making it the official language? So has english been made the official language? If so when was this law passed? If not then what is this law everyone is talking about.

Answer 1

Whoever said English is the national language is correct. There's a difference between having the language being the national and having it be the official language. The official language means its the only allowable language for the government. Personally I think its long overdue. First of all, we need on language. I don't believe in learning a language to accommodate a bunch of people have migrated here and are too lazy or dumb to learn English. If you can't learn English, you aren't very bright. When compared to German, or French, or a Slavic language, English is very simplified. Also, I don't care about perfection, I simply want a person to be able to come up to me, and speak to me in English in my own country and NOT take their language for granted. The pro-latin language lobby group whines and says "you're saying our language isn't good enough for you". Thats exactly what I'm saying. I understand new arrivals not speaking English, but after 5 years, there is no excuse. Such people need to be thrown out. Everyone else does it, we should do it as its our sovereign RIGHT!!! The way i look at it, the non-English speakers are infringing on the rights of the people who live here. We should not have to do anything. They are GUESTS in our country. And suppose we make it official that we have forms available in English and Spanish. Where the hell does it stop? Polish is the second largest language group. You want to talk about difficult to learn? No, English should be mandatory. Furthermore, English is quickly becoming the world language, so people who don't learn English are personally setting themselves up for failure.

Answer 2

There is no official language of the United States. The law that was passed makes English the National language but that's not the same thing.

Answer 3

The United States has no official language at the federal level, but English is the de facto national language. This means that English is the most spoken and accepted language in the US, but there is no official language. I remember hearing about a law they were trying to pass making English the official language, but I guess it failed.

Answer 4

Regulations have been passed, at both state and federal levels, requiring all official legal paperwork (bill drafts, forms, publication of administrative regulations, etc.) to be in English.

Because that is a procedural requirement, and does not actually prevent anyone from using any other language, that passes constitutional scrutiny.

So, while law-makers can require that govt business be conducted in english, they cannot require people to speak english and they cannot ban any other language. That issue was ruled in by the Supreme Court 90 years ago.

Answer 5

Rising concern over immigration has prompted a wave of cities and states this year to try to make English the official language.
A ballot measure is pending in Arizona. Related bills have passed houses of representatives in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Michigan; the state senates have not taken them up. At least five cities and towns have approved ordinances; eight are considering them. The U.S. Senate included a provision in a pending immigration bill. Gubernatorial candidates in Kansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Arizona and Idaho have debated the idea.

"This is the most action we've seen in about 10 years," says Rob Toonkel of U.S. English, a group promoting English as the official language. "People are split on immigration. But on matters of assimilation, they agree immigrants should be on the road to learning English." If immigrants don't learn the language soon after arrival, he says, many never will.

"We make it easy for people to come (to the USA) and never speak English," says Louis Barletta, mayor of Hazleton, Pa., which passed an English-only ordinance last month. "We think we're helping them, but we're not."

Answer 6

No. There have been several attempts at making English the official language....it has been defeated because we are the most diverse nation in the world and must deal with many lanuguages. We respect all peoples and their languages.

I think there is a move to make English the national language.......which is fine....and doesn't require a complete rework of our system.

Answer 7

While several jurisdictions in the U.S. have made English there official language, the Congress has yet to pass such a measure

Answer 8

To my knowledge no such law has been passed. When I went to vote in a local election just a couple of months ago I had to pick if I wanted English, Spanish, or Vietnamese.

Answer 9

It hasn't passed on a national level. But,some states and cities are passing their own laws since our government can't seem to do it.

Answer 10

To the best of my knowledge, this law has not been passed. Personally, I don't want it to. The United States straddles the colonies of four countries: Great Britain (13 colonies), France (Midwest), Spain (South), and Russia (Alaska, Oregon, Washington state.) Therefore, one language would not be at all appropriate.