In Plain American

“Growing up (as I did)” in an immigrant family, I learned “not just the joys but also the perils of bilingualism.” I started kindergarten not knowing English. That was about as long as I could hold out against inevitable assimilation. Learning English is a necessary part of living in the US. If you are a non-English speaking child, you take ESL classes to catch up with your classmates or you will always be behind. Besides doing schoolwork that is entirely in English, save for the foreign language class you may decide to take (usually a blow-off), there are the social disadvantages as well. Good luck making friends with someone you cannot communicate with. Even though there technically is no official language in this country there is still little choice but to learn English. There is a strong history of assimilation here, a practice that has not gone away. Whether it be positive for keeping the country united or negative for erasing diversity, it is present. Having English as an official language or not will not change anything. I am glad I was forced to learn English as a child. This does not take away from my own family’s culture; it simply allows me to take advantage of the opportunities in this country; it allows me to have a future here; it allows me to call the country I live in my home. Officially or not, English is the language of the US. Having it be the official language is just a formality that recognizes the condition that already exists.