My father was born in
Aspen, Colorado in 1917. He was the son
of Swedish immigrants. The family spoke
Swedish in their home, and my father could not speak English when he started
the first grade. There was no kindergarten or pre-school back then. Consequently, he failed the first grade, and
was held back from moving on to the second grade.
The family adhered to “old
world” values, and failure was not acceptable.
It was regarded as a disgrace to the family. My Dad blamed himself for disgracing the
family, and he carried that burden for the rest of his life. So, he would not teach his children to speak
Swedish.
The school sent someone to
my grandparents’ home. They were told
that they had to speak English in the home so that the children could
understand what they were being taught in school. They spoke English and Swedish in the home
after that.
At that time, immigrants
were needed for the workforce, and they came from all over Europe. There were Swedes, Italians, Germans, Slavs,
Irish, and you name it in the Aspen my father grew up in. They stayed until the mines no longer yielded
up ore, and then many of them moved on.
They all, however, learned to speak English in order to succeed in
school and in life. They became
citizens, and by the time their children were raised the families had adapted
to American culture.
My father valued his
Swedish heritage, and the “old world” values he was raised by. He strongly believed in hard work, self-reliance,
honesty, strict discipline in the home, God, country, cleanliness, respect for
parents, the role of men as head of household, and so forth. However, he was also an American, and my
sister and I were raised to be “American kids.”
That was the way things
were. Immigrants were expected to
assimilate.
On 1 March 2025, President
Donald J. Trump signed an executive order designating English as the official
language of the United States of America.
It came as a bit of a surprise to me.
I thought it already was. Go
figure.
The following excerpt from
President Trump’s order may help to demonstrate the need for it and the benefit
to all Americans that it brings:
Section 1. Purpose and Policy. From
the founding of our Republic, English has been used as our national language.
Our Nation’s historic governing documents, including the Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution, have all been written in English. It
is therefore long past time that English is declared as the official language
of the United States. 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.
In
welcoming new Americans, a policy of encouraging the learning and adoption of
our national language will make the United States a shared home and empower new
citizens to achieve the American dream. Speaking English not only opens
doors economically, but it helps newcomers engage in their communities,
participate in national traditions, and give back to our society. This
order recognizes and celebrates the long tradition of multilingual American
citizens who have learned English and passed it to their children for
generations to come.
To
promote unity, cultivate a shared American culture for all citizens, ensure
consistency in government operations, and create a pathway to civic engagement,
it is in America’s best interest for the Federal Government to designate one —
and only one — official language. Establishing English as the official
language will not only streamline communication but also reinforce shared
national values, and create a more cohesive and efficient society.
Accordingly,
this order designates English as the official language of the United States.
It is not bigoted, chauvinistic,
or oppressive for the United States to have an official language. Throughout our history, English has been our
language of government, commerce, education, and the common literature. It should be a requirement of citizenship for
immigrants to demonstrate a basic level of proficiency in written and spoken
English, and they should be able to comprehend English at a level that enables
them to understand what is said to them.
If you live in China,
Germany, or France, you will be exposed to a national culture that has
developed for hundreds of years. The
cultures of other countries are often more structured and ridged than ours. In the United States, it is more difficult to
put your finger on what “American culture” really is. Many of us are hedonistic and others are very
religious. Some of us are politically
conservative, while others favor becoming more socialistic. Almost all of us value individual freedom,
almost to a fault, but others want more societal control on individual behavior. There are those who think that because our
history is flawed, our nation is flawed.
Most of us think that the direction of our national development has been
one of continuous improvement, and that the USA is fundamentally a force for
good in the world. Assimilation to American culture is more of a way of being than a set of rules.
Lamp in a Corner advocates for a society in which our citizens are
educated to become fluent in more than one language. We believe that it is a national and
individual liability that most Americans cannot at least converse in more than
one language.
It is, however, absolutely
fundamental that those who are allowed to immigrate must demonstrate that they want
to become citizens by forsaking their loyalty to their former country, adopting
our language, and assimilating into our society. They must positively show that their
allegiance is now to the United States of America, including its borders,
language and culture, by becoming useful and productive members of our society.
That is the way things
have been throughout our history. It is
the way things should continue.
