President Trump Formally Designates English as the Official Language of the United States
On March 1, 2025, President Donald Trump ordered English to be the national language of the United States. As a result, the mandate that Bill Clinton required during his time as President for government organizations that receive federal funding to provide language resources and assistance to non-English speakers has been rescinded. Under the provisions of President Trump’s order, federally funded government agencies and organizations can determine whether or not they will continue to offer language assistance to non-English speakers.
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Purpose for Having English be the Official Language
According to the Whitehouse, since the founding of our country, English has been the national language. All of our government documents, such as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, are written in English, making it reasonable that our Republic formally declares English as the official language. Having a national language helps unify society, and having one shared language in the country facilitates the free exchange of ideas for its citizens.
Concerning the addition of new Americans into the country, the policy is meant to encourage and motivate these individuals to learn the English language. Doing so will help them better fit into the culture and society and allow America to be a “shared home” that will assist them in achieving their American Dream. Being able to communicate in English in the U.S. provides for greater economic opportunities in the country to take advantage of and helps newcomers immerse themselves in American society.
The Whitehouse says the order will promote unity and consistency in operations and improve a pathway for civic engagement.
The Many Languages Spoken in the United States
Currently, it is estimated that over 350 languages are spoken in the country with Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Arabic being the most common. In addition to foreign languages, there are also native North American languages spoken by Native Americans. Some of these languages include Navajo, Cherokee, and Apache, to name a few.
In Hawaii, the state has passed laws declaring that English and Hawaiian are its official languages. Meanwhile, more than 30 other states and the U.S. Virgin Islands have laws making English the official language.
Congress has tried to make English the official language of the United States for many years, but to no avail. The last time an effort was made to do so, the now-Vice President, JD Vance, was a Republican Senator from Ohio, and he teamed up with Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) to make the push.
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Source:
whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/designating-english-as-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/
