On Saturday, March 1, Donald Trump signed an executive order designating English as the official national language—the first time in the history of the U.S. this has been done. The order revokes a policy issued by President Clinton that required federal agencies to provide assistance programs for people with limited English proficiency. For the moment the order allows agencies to voluntarily keep those support systems in place. But there's no guarantee that will continue.
What will be the impact? It will make it even more difficult for those who do not speak English, or do not speak it as their first language, to navigate an already oppressive society. The damage caused especially by enforcing English as the “official language” in schools will be lifelong. There has been a decades-long battle over enforcing “English only” versus providing bilingual education in public schools in California and other states. Researchers have found that where young students are taught other subjects in their native language while they are learning English, students learn English faster, their test scores and graduation rates are higher, and they are better prepared for college.1
And on a deeper, societal level, Trump’s order on “official language”—which is in fact “English only”—is designed to dehumanize and humiliate people who do not speak English, or even speak it with an accent. It will not just send the message but enshrine in law, and justify, the idea that English-speakers are superior beings who deserve the right to lord it over others. What's the difference between this and the "whites only" laws and signs that were perfectly "legal" in this country until the mid-1960s? This is an integral part of the fascist “America for Americans” outlook justifying the war on undocumented immigrants being carried out by Trump and MAGA fascists today.
Compare this with the liberating vision and blueprint for a radically new society in the Constitution of the New Socialist Republic in North America, written by revolutionary leader Bob Avakian, that an actual revolution will make possible (see accompanying piece below). Discrimination against minority nationalities, in every sphere of society, including segregation in housing, education and other areas, will be outlawed. All education will be conducted in Spanish and English equally, and where significant sections of the population have another principal language there will be efforts and resources to provide education in that language as well. And in the new society, the state is going to encourage and assist everyone to become fluent in both English and Spanish and, as far as possible, to acquaint themselves with other languages.
The Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North America, and fully overcoming national oppression and inequality
Putting an end to national oppression and inequality is addressed in every dimension in the Constitution for the New Socialist Republic, including:
Preamble: The New Socialist Republic in North America is a multinational and multi-lingual state, which is based on the principle of equality between different nationalities and cultures and has as one of its essential objectives fully overcoming national oppression and inequality, which was such a fundamental part of the imperialist USA throughout its history. Only on the basis of these principles and objectives can divisions among humanity by country and nation be finally overcome and surpassed and a world community of freely associating human beings be brought into being. This orientation is also embodied in the various institutions of the state and in the functioning of the government in the New Socialist Republic in North America. (p.5)
Article I. The Central Government. Section 1. The Legislature. Laws, as well as other official government documents, shall be published in both English and Spanish. In proceedings of the central Legislature, both Spanish and English may be utilized, with translation from the one language into the other provided simultaneously. If there are areas–and this might apply particularly in certain autonomous regions or areas that may be established–where significant parts of the population have some language other than Spanish or English as their first language, the policy shall be to create the basis so that laws and documents are published in that language and that language may be used in legislative proceedings.
The central Legislature shall also provide for the establishment of the appropriate governmental authority and administration in regions, localities, and other areas and institutions within the New Socialist Republic in North America. (This includes autonomous regions, or other autonomous areas, which may be established where there are significant populations of minority and formerly oppressed nationalities–see Article II, Section 3.) (pp. 9-10)
E. International Relations. 5. With regard to inequalities between nationalities and regions (as well as other inequalities) within the New Socialist Republic in North America which resulted from the historical development and functioning of the imperialist United States of America, the New Socialist Republic in North America shall give important priority, in the development of the economy, the structure and functioning of the government, and in other ways, to overcoming this inequality, as a crucial part of developing this new socialist state in accordance with the principles and objectives set forth here and elsewhere in this Constitution. (p. 31)
F. Education. 3. As an expression of the multi-national, multi-lingual character of the New Socialist Republic in North America, of the history and current composition of the population of this Republic, and of its internationalist orientation and its goal of overcoming and abolishing all inequality between nationalities and cultures, all education shall be conducted in Spanish and English equally, as a matter of government policy. (And, as indicated in Section 1 of this Article, all laws and other official documents of the government shall be published in both languages.) In any areas where significant sections of the population have another language as their first language, efforts and resources shall be devoted to providing education in that language as well. Along with this, it shall be the goal of the state to encourage and assist people in society as a whole to become fluent in both English and Spanish and, as far as possible, to acquaint themselves with other languages, particularly those spoken by significant groups within the population of this Republic, as well as languages spoken by significant numbers of people in other parts of the world. (p. 33)
Article II. Regions, Localities, and Basic Institutions.
Section 3. Minority and Formerly Oppressed Nationalities. 1. In light of the egregious crimes, oppression and injustice perpetrated by the former ruling class and government of the United States of America against various minority nationalities, to give expression to the voluntary union and growing unity of the various peoples within the New Socialist Republic in North America, and to give the most powerful effect to the principles and objectives set forth in this Constitution, discrimination against minority nationalities, in every sphere of society, including segregation in housing, education and other areas, shall be outlawed and prohibited, and concrete measures and steps shall be adopted and carried out, by the government at the central and other levels, to overcome the effects of discrimination and segregation, and the whole legacy of oppression, to which these peoples have been subjected.
As one important dimension of this, in regions (or other areas) of significant population concentration of minority nationalities which were oppressed within the borders of the former imperialist USA, there shall be the right of the people of those nationalities to autonomy, in the form of self-government within the overall territory, framework and structure of the New Socialist Republic in North America and its unified socialist economy, system of law, armed forces, and conduct of foreign relations. (p. 51)