ized citizen, immigrants have to know the English language (Alter 24). So why are they not learning? They must learn to communicate with the world around them, instead of squeezing by, knowing the absolute minimum. There is much to consider when declaring an official language for an entire country. Where will the money come from to teach the immigrants English? How will anyone know who knows enough English and who needs more help? My proposal is that the government use the money currently invested in bilingual government publications to fund useful programs that will teach immigrants English. The requirement of English skills obtained in order to become a U.S. citizen should be raised to allow for enough basic English that the person applying can vote, drive, and conduct everyday business in English. As immigration, both legal and illegal, brings a flood of foreign speech into the U.S., a campaign to make English our nation’s official language gathers more and more strength. The importance of preserving our own cultural backgrounds, including native languages, is not being overlooked. There is, however a major problem with communication and unity within the country. As Roger Hughes, an English Campaign volunteer from California says: We are not trying to stop immigration, but we want those who enjoy staying here to share in the responsibility of learning English, to be a part of the mainstream. And use of a common language is the only way to get it. (Mc Bee 64) We want to enrich the lives of all Americans and to help them be a successful part of the community. Therefore, in order to unite the entire country in communication and weaken racial barriers, in order to make business and governmental procedures operate more smoothly, and in order to help immigrants feel as though they too are an integral part of this society, we must declare English the official language of the United States of America. ...
