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. [1]
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.
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