English as Only US Official Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

English as Only US Official Language - Essay Example Other like-minded movements followed but none has so far prospered because of the chief argument that an attitude of intolerance towards languages other than English is undemocratic and impinges on individual liberties. The policy has nonetheless gained headway in at least 27 states, where pro-English laws or resolutions have already been enacted. On the federal level, two opposing lobbies have been organized represented by the English Plus movement that pushes for bilingualism, and the English Only group that clamors for monolingualism and for English to be declared as the only official national language. This paper dissects the pros and cons of the issue and evaluates which side makes more sense and a stronger case. Topic Sentence 2 - Spanish is perceived to be the biggest threat to English since Hispanics comprise the largest number of immigrants in the US, such that more and more public utilities and documents are inscribed in Spanish especially in areas where there are large immigrant communities. There are over 300 languages spoken in the US by people whose primary language is not English, but Hispanic immigrants easily qualify as the largest group of non-English speakers because of the proximity of the US to Latin America. According to the US Bureau of Census, in a tone that suggests warning, 100 million people of Hispanic origins will be all over the 50 states of the Union by 2050 (Lynch 11). Because of this large-scale immigration of Hispanics, Spanish has become the unofficial second language of the US (Rodriguez 3). This bothers Americans with native roots that perceive the growth of Spanish-speaking communities as a threat to English. Why is this predominantly used immigrant language in America considered a threat to English Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colorado) explains that Spanish is making inroads into the predominant position that should be occupied by English among Americans. This is duality that must be avoided at all costs because "it would weaken American identity an d sow the seeds of disunity and conflict." The possible weakening of the American identity and the potential of bilingualism to breed disunity is the battle slogan of such organizations as the English Only movement, Official English and the US English Inc., the latter a political lobby group founded by the late Senator from Alaska Samuel Hayakawa and Dr. John Tanton in 1983. These groups feel that English is losing out to Spanish and call for federal legislation to declare English as the official language, specifying that no other state law or policy shall be enforced that requires the use of any language other than English. English Only advocates point to Hartford in Connecticut to show that English is retreating in favor of Spanish and that the threat is real (Mujica 5). Hispanics comprise 40 percent of the population of this typical American city, where half of its Spanish-speaking people do not speak English at all so Spanish is the

Kerouac and Moon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Kerouac and Moon - Essay Example These two people are Dean and Sal. In the course of their journeys around New York, there are several fascinating encounters the two friends come across that both enlightens their views and opinion about the American person and also gives them a peculiar identify of where they two of them also belong in the American society or system. On his part, Heat-Moon William Least in writing Blue Highways takes the story from the perspective of someone who is not meeting love right away but bitterness and pain. This was because the journey that is described in this book was embarked upon by someone who had just separated from his wife and also lost his lost. As a way of finding solace from not just the brighter side of life but the ugly part of it also, the voyager decides to travel along the rural part of America that is often marked by a blue line in Rand McNally road atlas and thus the Blue Highway. It could briefly be said that both works are similar because they are all based on journeys of the life of real people while the setting of the journeys and the causes of the journey brings out the differences in the two books. Likes among both writers Both authors exhibit in their writing and the narration of their journeys, certain things they like about America that are common in both instances. One of these is the seemingly clear love for alcohol. This is shown because Kerouac emphasizes his love for big party with alcohol (Kerouac, p. 53). Similarly, Moon reiterates his love to drink a lot of alcohol (Moon, p. 6). Clearly, reasons as to why these two writers both love the abundance of alcoholic drinks in America could be traced to the circumstances surrounding their trip. On the part of Kerouac, it could be said that he was just putting himself in the most common kind of mood that new friends and lovers put themselves in, which has to do with the sharing of drinks and alcohol to make themselves feel so good. On his part, Moon might have taken to the love for alcohol a s a way of dealing with the pain and grief that his heart bore. The love for alcohol is thus similar among the two writers but the reasons for liking alcohol is quite different. Both writers also exhibit their likeness for music and dancing. Though Moon traveled through the rural part of America and Kerouac travelled through New York, it is common to find that music and dance is something that is synonymous with all parts of America being it rural or urban. This is because while Kerouac who was in the heart of the city wrote that he loves music and dance (Kerouac, p. 53), Moon who was also in the rural setting also wrote that he loves to enjoy his life by dancing off his stress (Moon, p. 9). Regardless of this similarity however, it can be said that the sources of enjoyment that came with music and dance for the two writers were different. For instance in the city, one is likely to party in places like the discotheque or club while in the rural area, all that there is to offer are p ubs and little bars and restaurants. Again, there exist differences in terms of causes of action. This is because while Kerouac’s action was caused by the desire to make himself happy with his friend, Moon’s action was caused by the need to throw off his sorrows. Dislikes among both writers As normal people, it would not be every single thing that these two individuals see about America that they will love. This is especially so as the two had to travel around different places in America. Indeed once a person is travelling around; it is common that he fellow will come across different people and different events that will trigger the person’