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don’t tell my mom to speak english.
you’re at your local shopping mall in her native language, when you spot a group of teenagers you recognize from school. you realize that the group is staring at you in disgust as they approach you.
“this is America, speak english,” one says. Another joins in “go back to where
“this is America, speak english,” one says. Another joins in “go back to where
you came from.”
verbal attacks and harassment against people speaking non-English languages in public occur all across the United States. the sentiment that perpetrators share is that people who are in the U.S must speak English and English only
this belief is harmful for several reasons, one of them being historical: English spread throughout the U.S because of British colonization that began in the late 1700s. colonization of the Americas was devastating for Indigenous people as it stripped them of their culture, homes
and dignity.
from the late 1800s to the 1900s, tens of thousands of Native Americans were forced into government boarding schools, where they could only speak English. these children were often punished for speaking in their native languages and grew to become ashamed of them.
from the late 1800s to the 1900s, tens of thousands of Native Americans were forced into government boarding schools, where they could only speak English. these children were often punished for speaking in their native languages and grew to become ashamed of them.
as a result, when these children grew up, they urged their own kids to only speak English. the impact has been catastrophic, as the United Nations warned last year that four in ten Indigenous languages are at risk of extinction. while English is the predominant language of the
U.S, it is only so at the expense of those who lived there first
while many believe that English is the United States’ official language, that is actually false. despite the many attempts in Congress to desígnate English as the official U.S language, the latest being last year, all motions have failed to pass. therefore, the argument that
people must speak English as it is the official language of the United States is incorrect
a similar issue occurs when immigrants are told “if you come to the United States, you need to learn English.” this sentence, along with statements similar to it harms immigrants because it undermines any efforts they have made to do so. not to mention, this demand that
United States residents must learn English fails to consider people’s financial situations, motivation, and abilities. Learning a language requires focus, time, access to resources, and financial commitment, whether means paying for a class or being able to study instead of
taking a work shift.
above all, acting as though you’re entitled to dictate which languages people can or cannot speak is racist and xenophobic. people should be able to converse with the languages they are comfortable speaking in without the fear of being ridiculed or persecuted
“yes we speak English in America - and 350 other languages too.” - austin american-statesman journalist Juan Castillo
from @/ dearasianyouth on ig-13
