Language is important to our identity. When we’re out in public or even in our household we hear people speaking a language native to them. It defines our circle of friends and the foundation of how the world works. Recently, President Trump signed an executive order for English to be the official language of the country.
According to whitehouse.gov, the executive order stated, “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.”
Speaking English is woven into the “American Dream” when people from other countries come to the U.S. Like in the show “Fresh Off the Boat” where Asian parents live by the American dream as they learn to adapt and push their sons to excel in school. Culture thrives on language and someone may struggle to understand and learn a new language.
Taft senior Sarai Menez said, “Outside of school I typically speak English and Spanish but in school I mostly speak English. Both languages are an important part of my roots and I like being able to speak both of them. Spanish is important to me because it is the language of my parents and where they came from.”
According to migrationpolicy.org, during former President Biden’s presidency, one of his goals was opening up borders which let about 2.4 million immigrants into the country. Whereas, President Trump continues to demand for deportations of immigrants in the country including arrests in public areas. According to statistica.com, Trump and his Administration have deported about 4,700 of individuals.
Taft AP Government and Politics teacher Donald Desalvo said, “English is considered the primary language. We know that in Chicago there are supports in place for people who migrated here and we know the local government is accommodating to those who speak another language by providing them with interpreters and having translations. So, there isn’t an expectation to learn English.”
By having English as the official language it may force individuals to learn English as they will have to rely more on themselves rather than corporations and businesses. Since businesses are not obligated to have assistant programs for non-English speakers, rescinding a policy issued by Bill Cllinton during his presidency.
Taft is embedded in diversity with students from different backgrounds who speak different languages. The school also offers English learning classes where students learn and practice in 4 different criterias including speaking, writing, reading, and listening.
Taft Bilingual teacher Christina Moreno stated, “Our school is unique in the sense that we have traditional ESL(English as a second language)1-5, so that helps support students. [The executive order] makes the gap wider for people to access information and it sometimes has to be in our home language.”
It’s safe to say that people won’t stop using their native language despite the official order. Language is significant to our culture and how we perceive ourselves. Policies must ensure that everyone has access to information and opportunities, regardless of the language they speak.
