Saturday was not only the day that the Trump administration announced the approval of a major arms sale to Israel worth $4 billion, but also the day that he signed an executive order making English the official language of the United States.
Yes. You read that right.
Fore in a move, which is said to be aimed at reshaping federal language policy and to "promote unity", President Donald Trump has signed an executive order designating English as the United States' sole official language.
According to AFP, citing Agerpres, the order emphasizes the importance of linguistic unity in preserving American culture and fostering national cohesion.
“This order pays tribute to the generations of multilingual Americans who learned English and ensured its passage to their children,” the document states. It asserts that a common language strengthens national identity and promotes a shared cultural foundation among U.S. citizens.
The United States has never formally recognized an official language at the federal level. Trump’s executive order overturns a directive issued by President Bill Clinton in 2000, which mandated improved access to public services for individuals with limited English proficiency.
However, under the new policy all federal agencies will no longer be required to offer services in languages other than English, though they will still have the discretion to do so.
The debate over establishing an official language has long been a contentious issue in American politics. Over the past century, numerous legislative attempts to enshrine English as the nation's official language have failed to gain traction in Congress.
Despite the lack of official status, English remains the dominant language in the U.S.
However, Spanish is widely spoken, with approximately 43 million people using it as their primary language at home, according to 2023 Census Bureau data.
It's the linguistic diversity that has since fueled the ongoing discussions about identity and integration in the nation’s evolving demographic landscape.
