By Rita Cook
Correspondent
Texas Metro News
Here is a tidbit of information I never knew until President Donald Trump signed his latest Executive Order earlier this week, designating English as the official language in the United States.
Until March 1, the United States did not have an official language. While English is the language most commonly used in the US, according to reports there are actually 350 different languages used to communicate across the country.
The United States is one of the few nations in the world to have no official language designated.
As a sidenote, some states have an official language, more than 30 along with five U.S. territories already use English as the official language, but as for the country, it was never officially designated.
Pres. Trump signed the order this past Sunday and at the same time he revoked a Clinton-era executive order from 2000, “Improving Access Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency.”
That order by Clinton had made it mandatory for federal agencies or anyone receiving federal funding to offer language assistance to those speaking a language other than English.
The order does allow affected agencies to keep their current policies and provide documents and services in other languages at their will.
However, it also “encourages new Americans to adopt a national language that opens doors to greater opportunities.”
The order also opens the way for agencies to have the flexibility to decide how and when they choose to offer services in languages other than English to better serve the American people and fulfill their agency mission.
The executive order indicated too, it was a call by Pres. Trump to unify the American people.
To that end, the order reads, “Since our nation’s founding, English has been the language of our nation, with historic documents like the Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution written in English.”
The idea is that a national language will strengthen the country, while also empowering citizens old and new to carve out their best life.
“Establishing English as the official language promotes unity, establishes efficiency in government operations, and creates a pathway for civic engagement,” the executive order detailed. “This Order celebrates multilingual Americans who have learned English and passed it down, while empowering immigrants to achieve the American dream through a common language.”
Trump has long championed the idea that English should be the official language. His belief, according to this most recent executive order is that a common language fosters national cohesion, helps newcomers engage in communities and traditions, and enriches a shared culture overall.
Rita Cook is a world traveler and writer/editor who specializes in writing
on travel, auto, crime and politics. A correspondent for Texas Metro News, she has published 11 books and has also produced low-budget films.
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