La Lengua Inglesia

English is the language of our democratic republic

By Jamin A. Dowdy

There are some things that are universally recognized as American, like baseball, hotdogs, and apple pie. These items are enjoyed by millions of Americans all across the fruited plains. Indeed, in today’s world, these three things are about the only cultural symbols that are can be seen as inexorably attached to the American identity. But has it always been this way? Is there anything more than a few mundane sports and fast foods that unite such a great people? While relativists have been working hard over the past sixty years to degrade the American identity to such, our nation does indeed have a unique and comprehensive identity fostered in its language upon which the unity and success of this nation continues to depend.

Although the debate has quieted with the advent of our economic problems, the quarrel over the national language of the United States remains unsettled, at least formally. Ballots are still available in multiple languages, politicians still pander to constituents of another tongue, and companies and educational institutions are still required to accommodate any who speak languages other than English. But the question of the national language was never open for debate historically. George Washington, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin, to my knowledge, did not converse in Spanish or Hindi at the Constitutional Convention. Our national songs, poems, narratives, and founding documents are all in English. And the mother country of this land, England, spoke which language? Since the founding of this nation, natives and immigrants alike have spoken English in their communities, in official business, and in academia. Now, we are being asked to forget our heritage.

Some may wonder why this debate is important at all. We have an economic crisis, two wars, and international policing problems with which to deal. Should we really focus on such an insignificant matter as the national language? I certainly understand this line of reasoning, but I believe that more is at stake than just a language. If one surveys the nations of the past, it becomes immediately apparent that language is one of the strongest bonds that holds a people together. Rome thrived under the widespread use of Latin. Greek knowledge flourished after the Hellenization of its dominions from Athens to Alexandria. Language is the common medium through which a people conduct business, pass on legends, cultivate a love of history, and converse in everyday discussion. Look to the nation just north of our border for proof of the disunity that diverse languages can bring. Canada has long had strife between its French and English settlers. The province of Quebec has a strong secessionist movement that envisions a Francophone nation in the heart of North America. Their laws, proclamations, and parliamentary debates occur in two languages to accommodate their segregated populace. Does America really want to plant the seeds of disunity by fostering so many languages?

Language is a special bond because of the information that it contains and conveys. While translations are available, no language can perfectly be converted into another. There are colloquial phrases and correspondent body language that are unique to each language. Consider the disconnect in our nation among peoples of different accents: Southerners, Midwesterners, and Yankees need some form of “translation” among them, however minimal. Languages contain the history and culture of its people; it is something with which the common man identifies. When Americans are in foreign countries, most of us do not find true comfort until we know that someone there speaks our language—this is just a natural feeling. Think of the times when you have been in a public place here in America and have heard foreign tongues being used all around. Can you honestly say, “This feels like home?” The populace has never homogenized with people who do not speak the same language. This does not mean Americans are xenophobic or intolerant of others. It simply means that in our backyard, we expect our native tongue to reign supreme. Is that an odd request? Do Americans expect Saudi Arabia or Germany to convert to a bilingual system if a group of us move there? Certainly not. In fact, one of the best ways to promote diversity is through the establishment of a common language.

America continues to welcome immigrants to its shores. While we do this, we must not forget that we cannot throw our own culture and language out the door in order to accommodate “diversity.” If we do, we will not only be causing strife in our communities, but we will also begin to lose the English-inspired democracy that makes our society so great.