On Saturday, President Donald Trump declared English the official language of the United States, arguing that it would help foster unity in a nation shaped by immigration from around the globe.
The White House released an executive order from Trump stating that it is “long past time” for English to be recognized as the nation’s official language.
“A nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society, and the United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exchange ideas in one shared language,” the order reads.
The new executive order revokes a mandate from the 1990s under President Bill Clinton, which required federal agencies and those receiving federal funding to offer assistance to non-English speakers.
Under the new directive, agencies still have the discretion to decide how much support to provide in languages other than English.
“Nothing in this order… requires or directs any change in the services provided by any agency,” the document notes.
It further states that agency heads are authorized to determine what is necessary to “fulfill their respective agencies’ mission and efficiently provide Government services to the American people.”
Since taking office, Trump has issued numerous executive orders aimed at solidifying his right-wing agenda, though many of these orders are facing legal challenges, especially those attempting to eliminate federal funding authorized by Congress.
While the White House acknowledges that over 350 languages are spoken in the U.S., the order asserts that English has been the nation’s language “since the founding of our Republic,” and highlights that key historical documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, were written in English.
According to 2019 U.S. government statistics, nearly 68 million people speak a language other than English at home.
Despite English being the dominant language, more than 40 million people in the U.S. are estimated to speak Spanish at home.
Additionally, alongside immigrant languages such as Chinese and Vietnamese, the U.S. also has a diverse linguistic landscape, including many Native American languages.
