President Donald Trump's America first agenda also includes English first. Trump has signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the U.S. Trump's order reverses a prior order signed by President Bill Clinton that required government agencies or organizations receiving government funding to provide multi-language materials and assistance. The order states that having an official language will "create a more cohesive and efficient society."
In the three decades since the previous order, multiple attempts to make English the official language have failed in Congress, even though more than 30 states recognize English as their primary language. "We feel this is a very positive step in the right direction," says Todd DuBois with U.S. English, which has advocated for this effort for decades. "English has always been considered our de facto common language, and it's the global language as the most spoken language in the world."
Proficiency in English is already required for U.S. citizenship, but this order will likely encourage more non-English speakers to learn the language. "There's very little controversy about the fact that the sooner and earlier in their lives immigrants can learn English, the better off they are," says DuBois.
That could be a boon to Texas, which spends billions per year to educate non-English speaking students.
DuBois tells KTRH that while Trump's order is a step in the right direction, it does not mark the end of the effort. "The question now is what will we do to affirm that truth, stand by it, and make it even more true," he says. "At a time when we have more than 350 languages spoken in this country, and so many people who speak more than one language, the need for emphasizing English has only increased."
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