The USA has NO Official language

Jean-Pierre   Thu Jun 19, 2008 10:26 pm GMT
How come the USA has no legal status for English as the Official language?
Bill in Los Angeles   Thu Jun 19, 2008 11:29 pm GMT
Because whenever the issue comes up it's considered racist to say English is the official language. To advocate for English as the official language is considered racist, nationalistic, xenophobic and probably homophobic and sexist as well. If you advocate for English as the official language it will be assumed that you are an uneducated right wing religious fanatic who supports the war in Iraq and the abolition of public education and diet drinks. We have a strange culture here in the US.
Guest   Thu Jun 19, 2008 11:41 pm GMT
<<If you advocate for English as the official language it will be assumed that you are an uneducated right wing religious fanatic who supports the war in Iraq and the abolition of public education and diet drinks. We have a strange culture here in the US.>>

Indeed strange, since it's English that is taught in school and what the majority of the population speaks...
Guest   Thu Jun 19, 2008 11:46 pm GMT
I wonder if one day the hispanic minority will just refuse to speak english or use english in official documents, and nobody can enforce English.
Bill in Los Angeles   Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:25 am GMT
<<I wonder if one day the hispanic minority will just refuse to speak english or use english in official documents, and nobody can enforce English.>>

Actually one day the hispanic minority will most likely be the majority but after the second generation we will still speak English. I am hispanic, third generation Mexican but I had to learn Spanish in school! The bottom line is there's no escaping English in this country if you want to be able to navigate life successfully. We can talk about keeping the culture, language, food and traditions of "the old country", but we have to be prepared to participate civically and professionally in English. Those Latino activists shouting "viva la raza" and who advocate a boycott of learning English would have us remain permanent members of the barrio class. In many ways, "Chicano Studies" programs do a disservice to Latinos by encouraging Chicano pride over education and civic assimilation.
Asterix   Fri Jun 20, 2008 5:50 am GMT
They don't need to make their language official at home because they are so busy spreading it abroad. Since the eary 1940s we have had the stench of their presence in our countries here in Europe and everywhere they go you know them by their loud voices and the size around of their belt. Oh of course they never ever learn French. I have yet to meet one Ricain who even try. So now 60 years after they invade France they do the same to some Arab countries. In a way I say tant mieux maybe you fix the Arab problem for us too but no your arrogance and your cowboy Texas president will still screw it up. As long as he get the oil he will not solve the Arab problem. So the Ricains they stay here for school or for the work and they want to bother us about soap and showers, and they are fanatics of brushing the teeth also, whwich we warn them if you brush more than one time a week you will destroy the outside of your tooth. Never do they listen. The ones we see here are educated but i have heard that in America one person in a million goes to university and that most Americans cannot even read a newpaper, even the highest paid executives. All of them are drinking whisky in the office and kneeling in front of the preacher who shakes and give then the spirit of god and make everyone fall down and start to make gibberish. This is the American way of worship. This is what they give to the world. What medicine, investions or else things that are helpful have the USA given the planet? McDonalds? Disney? Sylvestre Stallone? You have nothing!
Damian   Fri Jun 20, 2008 7:14 am GMT
***They don't need to make their language official at home***

That's a misleading statement. English is not THEIR Language! It's their adopted Language - many, many Americans have no direct connection with the true home of the English Language - England....Americans whose descendents originated elsewhere on the planet.

When in America, either living there or just visiting, many Brits experience mixed emotions when told by the local Americans that "they speak very good English" and asked where they had learned to speak it so well. Check out the British Expats in the USA site if you want confirmation of this extraordinary situation.

The Brits can either laugh their socks off and smile sweetly at the well meaning but hopelessly "ignorant" locals, or do what Brits do so well....switch over to sarcastic mode, very much a British trait, and come out with a whole array of put down comments, the most common being "Erm...yeah, I guess we speak good English because we happen to come from England" or "Well, as a matter of fact we invented the Language and we kinda grew up with it...sort of....!" or even "When we were kids we spent all our holidays in Scunthorpe!" ;-)
Guest 2000   Fri Jun 20, 2008 7:25 am GMT
ahaha Asterix up there must be a parody, because nobody can be that inane.
Guest   Fri Jun 20, 2008 9:16 am GMT
@Damian
Are you drunk or just stupid?
Guest   Fri Jun 20, 2008 11:28 am GMT
"When in America, either living there or just visiting, many Brits experience mixed emotions when told by the local Americans that "they speak very good English"

LOL, Come on, you gotta be an idiot to ask that! I am sure many can tell a British accent... is it really that bad?
Guest   Fri Jun 20, 2008 2:48 pm GMT
<<That's a misleading statement. English is not THEIR Language! It's their adopted Language - many, many Americans have no direct connection with the true home of the English Language - England....Americans whose descendents originated elsewhere on the planet.>>

One thing I've noticed.. when the thread takes a turn for the shitty, Damien can always be counted on to add a huge dose of civility, humor and good information. Maybe as a Scot it's easier to remain above the fray, but I always appreciate his posts.
Skippy   Fri Jun 20, 2008 3:04 pm GMT
The US never adopted an official language because it is a power left to the states. The US does not mention an official language, and the Tenth Amendment delegates issues not mentioned in the Constitution to the States.

You may be interested to know that the US does not have an official drinking age either. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act has some penalties for states that don't adopt a 21 year old drinking age minimum, but that's it.

You really need to think of the US as a confederation like the EU and use that as a backdrop, rather than thinking that a state is the equivalent of the Laender in Germany or the Provinces in Canada. They are really granted a high degree of autonomy (and it's originally supposed to be an even higher degree of autonomy alotted to them).
RayH   Fri Jun 20, 2008 3:07 pm GMT
>>Since the eary 1940s we have had the stench of their presence in our countries here in Europe

And why is that, I wonder? Oh yeah, I remember, we had to go over there to keep you great, wonderful, and oh-so-sophisticated Europeans from allowing a human monster to destroy civilization.
Guest   Fri Jun 20, 2008 3:51 pm GMT
<<>>Since the eary 1940s we have had the stench of their presence in our countries here in Europe>>

Asterix would have preferred the presence of Adolf Hitler, apparently.
Jasper   Fri Jun 20, 2008 4:11 pm GMT
"Oh of course they never ever learn French. "

Actually, Asterix--assuming you're for real and not a parody--French as a second language is taught in most schools. I learned it in the 70s, but have forgotten it. It was very seldom that I was ever given an opportunity to use it, because there are very few Francophones in the United States.

Learning Spanish would be a far more fruitful endeavor.