U.S.English Chairman Urges Presidential Candidates to State Position on Official English
Washington, DC—U.S.English Chairman Mauro E. Mujica today called for all presidential candidates to make clear their stance on a policy to declare English the official language of the United States.
“Running for the office of the President of the United States requires candidates to make their positions known on a wide variety of issues,” Chairman Mujica said. “Unfortunately, many of the current candidates have failed to express their support for English as the official language of the United States government. At a time when more than 350 languages are spoken in the United States and linguistic divisions are growing, more than three-quarters of citizens agree that declaring English the official language of the United States would be a unifying step.”
Individual presidential candidates have stated the importance of immigrants in the United States learning English, but few have gone on to express their support or opposition to a policy that would recognize English as the official language of the United States government.
“When the government operates solely in English, it sends the message that in the United States, English is not optional but essential,” Mujica continued. “In turn, non-English speaking residents are given an added incentive to learn the language, allowing them to participate fully in the democratic process and placing them on the road to social and economic success. Any presidential candidate who does not explicitly state his or her support for Official English will be considered in opposition to this unifying policy, and the more than 80% of constituents who support this policy will vote accordingly.”
###
