By Julia Reeves Santa Monica
I agree with Daniel Gilbert’s position that “English should be made the official language of the United States. English should be a requirement for citizenship and a requirement in any job where two spoken languages would be a safety or customer service problem.”
While English has been approved as the official language of California, one would never know it as one travels throughout the state. For me, to be caught in the crossfire of two employees who communicate in their native language, is offensive and extremely insulting. Furthermore, since they chose to communicate in a language which they may believe I may not understand, I might then assume that what they are speaking about is secretive, and not for my ears. How insulting is that?
People come to this great country from many foreign lands, and learning to speak English is a form of respect and a sign of assimilation. If they do not want to assimilate, then, why come here in the first place? English as the official language acts as a unifier of peoples who have come to take part in this wondrous nation of ours, and it provides the best way for all of us to communicate with one another. My ancestors came from other countries, and they showed their respect and gratitude by learning English.
Lastly, speaking in a foreign language amongst themselves may provide cover for those planning actions not favorable to this country.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 14, 2007. Read the original PDF.