84% Say English Should Be America’s Official Language

84% Say English Should Be America’s Official Language
Thursday, May 14, 2009

If 84% of the country want English as the official language - Lets put it on the national voting ballot

It would save the City, State, County and Federal government 100's of Billions of dollars every year

Eighty-four percent (84%) of Americans say English should be the official language of the United States. Only nine percent (9%) disagree, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Seven percent (7%) are not sure.

The support for English as the country’s official language remains steady from three years ago.

Eighty-one percent (81%) say a U.S. company should be allowed to require employees to speak English on the job, up four points from November 2007. Thirteen percent (13%) disagree.

Eighty-two percent (82%) also reject the idea that requiring people to speak English is a form of racism or bigotry, up three points from 2007. Just 10% think such a requirement is racist or bigoted.

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Support for making English the nation’s official language is strong across partisan lines. The concept is supported by 96% of Republicans, 74% of Democrats and 85% of adults not affiliated with either major party.

Similarly, while 90% of Republicans believe companies should be permitted to require employees to speak English on the job, that view is also shared by 80% of unaffiliateds and 74% of Democrats.

Seventeen percent (17%) of Democrats believe that such a requirement is racist or bigoted, down eight points from 2007. But 90% of Republicans, 85% of unaffiliated adults and 72% of Democrats disagree.

Eighty percent (80%) of U.S. voters believe those who move to America should adopt American culture. This level of support has been roughly consistent for many years.

English and reasons behind English-only movementIn 1919, President Theodore Roosevelt wrote, "We have room for but one language in this country, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding house."[1]

U.S. English, an advocate group for "Official English" summarizes their belief that "the passage of English as the official language will help to expand opportunities for immigrants to learn and speak English, the single greatest empowering tool that immigrants must have to succeed."[2]