U.S.A. Threatened by a Foreign Language Invasion?

English Only!!  Really?  Why?

Recently a Facebook connection of mine came across a Facebook posting about a man’s reaction to a cellphone conversation he had overhead which was conducted in a different language other than English.  Here is the posting account:

     "[There was] overheard at a grocery store by someone waiting in line behind a woman speaking on her cellphone in another language.  Ahead of her was a white man.  After the woman hangs up, he speaks up.

    Man: ‘I didn’t want to say anything while you were on the phone, but you’re in America now.  You need to speak English.’

    Woman: ‘Excuse me?’

    Man: *very slow* ‘If you want to speak Mexican, go back to Mexico.  In America, we speak English.’

    Woman: ‘Sir, I was speaking Navajo.  If you want to speak English, go back to England.’"

The posting was entitled “Go Home!”

The average European speaks minimally two languages.  Many can be found that speak three or more.  Europeans are comfortable with the fact that there are a variety of languages spoken throughout Europe.  It is a sign of being an intelligent and well-rounded person, having had a good upbringing and a good education, for a European to speak several languages.

We are Americans.  We speak English.  Yes, we do.  But why must that mean we have to be monolingual?  Why should we proudly champion ignorance of other languages?  For some reason we Americans feel threatened by foreign languages, which means that we must be insecure about the status of English in our country.  Is English in danger?  Are we going to wake-up one morning to find that English is gone, taken over by an invading foreign language?  Some act as if that is exactly what’s going to happen, a foreign language invasion.

And what is that foreign language?  Spanish of course!  Hence, more than half of all U.S. States have established “Official English Laws.”  Okay.  We can live with that.  Make English the “official” language to do official business and legal transactions.  Why not?  After all, business, government, and legal transactions have to be conducted in some specific language on this planet earth and one that everybody should understand.  Let it be English.

That’s fine.  But to get-up all in a dither because some private citizen is having a personal cellphone conversation in a language other than English—though in a pubic setting, such as in a supermarket or in a mall or while waiting in line at the bank or post-office—what’s the harm?  What’s the threat?

Ignorance and disrespect for other people including their various languages, cultures, and/or customs is nothing to be proud of.  On the contrary, we need to grow in our appreciation for and respect and consideration of people’s differences and their unique backgrounds.  We can all be Americans without all becoming vanilla flavored.

The English language is far from being threatened.  English Official Law policies can ensure that official business is carried on in English.  But let us then get beyond our small mindedness and expand our thinking, widen our experiences, and build our knowledge and abilities by celebrating the learning of and speaking of foreign languages.  After all, we do value a good education and a good upbringing, and one of the first signs of having a good education is the ability to speak and/or read more than one language.