English is the official language of the United States

[UltraBudgie]

The President signed an executive order today designating English as the official language of the United States:

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1. Purpose and Policy. From the founding of our Republic, English has been used as our national language. Our Nation’s historic governing documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, have all been written in English. It is therefore long past time that English is declared as the official language of the United States. A nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society, and the United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exchange ideas in one shared language.

In welcoming new Americans, a policy of encouraging the learning and adoption of our national language will make the United States a shared home and empower new citizens to achieve the American dream. Speaking English not only opens doors economically, but it helps newcomers engage in their communities, participate in national traditions, and give back to our society. This order recognizes and celebrates the long tradition of multilingual American citizens who have learned English and passed it to their children for generations to come.

To promote unity, cultivate a shared American culture for all citizens, ensure consistency in government operations, and create a pathway to civic engagement, it is in America’s best interest for the Federal Government to designate one — and only one — official language. Establishing English as the official language will not only streamline communication but also reinforce shared national values, and create a more cohesive and efficient society.

Accordingly, this order designates English as the official language of the United States.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-...ed-states/

This is an interesting issue. Of course it will be seen as supremacist and anti-immigrant by some. But is there a point here, about societal cohesion? The very idea of a "national culture" seems vaguely fascistic in the current political environment, which in itself says something.

I often see the world in terms not of nations, but of cultures, isolated from each other by language. Heck, look at the vague empire-like 5-eyes alliance: Britain, USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Five countries where English-speaking white guys have traditionally held power, allied because their respective spy-agencies can operate and blend in with the population of other "alliance" members, skirting respective laws about domestic surveillance. We can't do that as easily with China, France, Russia, or Germany! An example of how important language is. Language is a virus, someone said, and it's an interesting lens to look at the world through, as languages and their associated worldview-sets battling it out, merely using humans and their nations as front-line troops.

There used to be an argument that not providing things in languages other than English was exclusionary. But, I can very easily go to Google Translate and pull up any web page in any language I like. There are phone apps that will translate spoken language almost instantly, superimpose translated labels on live video you take of signs and such, and ones that help you fill out forms in other languages. Does this change things? We're moving to a world where the tower of Babel can easily be flown over.

So, what do you think of Trump's order? Other than the usual blah blah stuff used to ignite or appease the bases.

[IdeomotorPrisoner]

The world should be forced to convert to Esperanto regardless of native tongue. It was created to be universal!

I'm attempting to acclimate to him again.

And applying that dread/endurance/cynicism this must be to force english fluency in all future immigrants before they can live here legally and work at his properties... NOW. Before 2015 he didn't really give a shit what boat his service staff came here on.

* And only the good immigrants like Sikhs, Armenians, Chaldeans, and all assorted hard-working freedom loving convenience store owners. And we can't forget the math and science teachers of Eastern Europe, they already speak english better than we do. Not these criminal Venezuelan gangsters speaking their Castellano dialect eating Labradorian ganders with the Creole speaking Haitians.

** That's gonna be hard to shut off.

[quintessentone]

This should not even be an issue in this age of "free" Google Translation and other apps.

[FlyersFan]

There has to be one official language for legal and government and business dealings.
I thought 'English is the official language' was declared decades ago.
Kinda surprised that an EO was issued about it.  Thought it was a done deal long ago.

[ArMaP]

So, what do you think of Trump's order? Other than the usual blah blah stuff used to ignite or appease the bases.

Almost all countries have an official language, so no big deal with that.

Regarding the use of online translators or translator phone apps, not everyone has a smart phone or Internet access.

[quintessentone]

Almost all countries have an official language, so no big deal with that.

Regarding the use of online translators or translator phone apps, not everyone has a smart phone or Internet access.

In relation to the U.S. as is specific to this thread's topic - AI search:

"In the United States, nearly 98% of the population owns a cell phone, and 91% own a smartphone. This means that cell phone ownership is very high in the US"

Government agencies could provide the means of translation to the general public in public places where necessary. For instance, school staff could be provided with translation apps, or driver centers, or wherever the general public visits.

[UltraBudgie]

language barriers are so super efficient at corralling the population

in a melting pot society isnt it assumed thats a bad thing because democracy depends on tendency to consensus in theory (ha)

sad victim immigrant populations kept in bubbles where they cant be part of main society because of language barriers, virtual slavery

very disadvantaged for children born to immigrants who dont learn english in the home and live in areas where english isn't spoken, limits their social mobility

but what is best way to government to address this? does offering services, schooling, etc., in multilanguage make the problem worse or more entrenched? or does it build a bridge to help newcomers adapt? hmm

[Maxmars]

Yikes!  This is an activists call to waste time an industrial-scale...

As if there were something morally and socially wrong with speaking a common language.

And let me guess... soon, our English-speaking cousins across the pond will start howling "cultural appropriation!" and great writhing masses of celebrity talking heads will expand their emoting across new vistas of cringe self-entitled nonsense.

It is almost laughable... almost.

Could you actually imagine (or would you even try) to live a life tied to a translation device? 

Especially the "AI"-trained 'market-driven' uber-app... can you imagine the death toll?
Truly, commerce diminishes all other purposes...

How long before people finally learn that "machine translation" requires more than a machine.... all that machines can offer is tokenized words... and perhaps that's the purpose of the new "AI" life they are crafting for people who are so old-fashioned as to wish to actually speak to each other.... how inefficient.   



America speaks English.... why is that statement allowed to be considered offensive and exclusive?  Shouldn't we be concerned that Chinese citizens speak Chinese? or that French citizens speak French?... No?... Then why is the English thing a moral negative and social ill?

[suffice to say... automated translators are NOT now ready to be casually engaged in high pressure situations... enough with the "smart phone" plugs... when they fail to perform... they can fail catastrophically. --- and "AI" doesn't actually "learn" - so it will compound it's errors over and over - iterating it into a hellish exercise of exacerbating uselessness.]

[quintessentone]

Shouldn't your government's focus be on eliminating child poverty, affordability...you know the really important issues for which the people voted for? Just saying.

[ArMaP]

language barriers are so super efficient at corralling the population

in a melting pot society isnt it assumed thats a bad thing because democracy depends on tendency to consensus in theory (ha)

sad victim immigrant populations kept in bubbles where they cant be part of main society because of language barriers, virtual slavery

very disadvantaged for children born to immigrants who dont learn english in the home and live in areas where english isn't spoken, limits their social mobility

but what is best way to government to address this? does offering services, schooling, etc., in multilanguage make the problem worse or more entrenched? or does it build a bridge to help newcomers adapt? hmm

From my point of view of living in a country that now has lots of immigrants from many different countries, what is important is the will to communicate.

The first wave of immigrants came after the fall of Berlin wall, mostly from Romania, Moldova and Ukraine. Then came the Chinese. More recently it has been people from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.
Those that try to create their own job (usually by opening a small supermarket or a fruit shop or a store where you can find almost anything and make part of the community not only were on a better position to learn but also were in a better position to try to communicate with the population, and as Portuguese are known for talking (in any language), soon the neighbours were starting conversations with the foreign shop keepers, even if those did not understand Portuguese well enough to keep a conversation.

PS: a couple of months ago I saw an Ukrainian boy and his father waking their dog, and the father was speaking in Portuguese to the boy. In another case, I know the case of 10 years old boy that acts as a translator between his parents (from India, if I'm not mistaken) and the Portuguese, as he has already learned Portuguese as a consequence of frequenting Portuguese school.