“You’re in America. Speak English,” is a common phrase told to immigrants. Heard on buses, in grocery stores, and said with virulence to those speaking their mother tongue.
This sentiment is not a benevolent nudge to immigrants to learn English. Knowing English in America is integral to work and daily life, which is why most immigrants do in fact learn English quickly. As found by the National Foundation for American policy, over 83% of refugees coming to the United States between 1985 and 2009 spoke English a year or more after arrival.
Harassing others for not speaking English contradicts these American principles. When the United States was created, the founding fathers intentionally did not declare an official language. Although flawed in practice, the US was intended to be a haven for those of any religion, language, and culture.
English is not a “superior” language in any way, and should not be treated as such. It is simply a means of communication, one that most in America use. Language is inextricably tied to culture, and disrespecting a language is akin to disrespecting the multicultural nature of America.
When immigrants are told to not speak their native languages, it has an effect. Linguists have called America a “language graveyard” due its persisting cycle of language acquisition and then sudden death.
In the late 1800s, German, Swedish, Italian, and Dutch were a common and unavoidable sound in a city such as New York. However, less than a half-century later, all of these languages had vanished, replaced by English.
For immigrant children, who make up one-fourth of all of America’s youth, English-learning is prioritized, often over their native languages. Thus, children who speak another language at home tend to lose their native languages as they get older, and as generations go by, their families may only speak English.
“To maintain your culture, you have to maintain your language.e should have more resources, more programs out there,” suggested Mrs. Ramirez, a Spanish teacher at GHS. Instead of being indifferent or hostile to other languages, we should nurture and welcome them, whether through educational programs or general attitude. America has been rich in cultural and linguistic diversity since its inception, and should continue to be. This is what should be important to Americans, not if someone speaks Mandarin at Costco.
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