Donald Trump is signing an executive order officially designating English as the official language of the United States.
The order also rescinds a federal mandate that requires agencies and institutions that receive federal funding to provide language assistance to non-English speakers, potentially limiting access to a broad range of public services.
Agencies will still be allowed to provide services and documents in other languages, but the executive order intends to encourage non-English speakers to learn, according a White House document shared with The Independent.
The document recognizes that more than 350 languages are spoken in the United States, but English “has been the language of our nation” since its founding. More than 30 states have passed legislation adopting English as an official language.
The order argues that a national language promotes a sense of national identity, unity and a “pathway for civic engagement.” The order “celebrates multilingual Americans who have learned English and passed it down, while empowering immigrants to achieve the American Dream through a common language,” according to officials.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than three-quarters of Americans only speak English at home, though millions of Americans also primarily speak Spanish and Chinese, among other languages, while Native American communities speak dozens of languages across the country.
More than 30 states have passed legislation designating English as their official language. People who are applying for naturalization also must demonstrate an ability to read, write and speak English.
