An Official Language
How Important is Learning English?
By Daniel Muniz

"This amendment is racist. I think it's directed basically to people who speak Spanish..."
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid

Interestingly, not everybody agrees with the notion that instituting English as the official language is really a bad idea. According to a Zogby International Poll:

● 84 percent of Americans say English should be the official language of government operations
● 77 percent of Hispanics also agree
● 92 percent of Republicans approve making English the country's official language
● 82 percent of Democrats approve making English the country's official language.

Those are very large numbers that cut across so many socio-economic, cultural, and political spectrums.

In the debate over illegal aliens in particular and with immigration in general, English as the official language is an issue that a surprisingly large majority of Americans agree on. Even Hispanics overwhelmingly support such a measure.

And the bottom line is simple.

You need to learn English in order to be successful in this country.

Put aside all the inflammatory incendiary rhetoric because it is irrelevant if you are Republican or Democrat or if you are Conservative or Liberal, an immigrant will be condemned to a life of abject poverty unless he or she masters the language of this country. Incidentally, the same concept applies to anywhere you are on the planet. An individual has to become proficient in the primary language that he or she resides in order to be successful and to be a part of its society.

Although certain groups of people may personally disagree with such a premise out of ideology, practicality trumps the politics which is why so many people feel that learning English ought to be a requirement.

Consequently, the United States is truly the land of boundless opportunities and everyday there are plenty of stories of immigrants who arrived penniless but their hard work and determination allowed them to become millionaires. And the enormous efforts of a first or second generation of immigrants provided the foundation for subsequent generations to enter the great middle class.

But the common thread to all of that is mastering English so that immigrants can be enabled to take advantage of the opportunities that are available.

Myself, growing up in the barrio as a kid, I got to see firsthand how limited people were in being able to only speak Spanish. It is awful and many times, it was heartbreaking.

There are just too many huge obstacles that prevent people from even doing the simplest of tasks because of the language barrier. And if you cannot do the simple things in life because you cannot read, write, or speak English, then the bigger things are definitely out of reach, like a better paying job or learning a new skill. The end result is remaining in poverty instead of breaking out of it.

The language barrier may be mitigated if you have enough relatives able to help you but that then places an enormous burden on other people. I saw that with my grandmother who did not speak English. Fortunately, my mother and my uncles were fluent in English and they were always available. And she also lived right across the street from us so the problem was greatly alleviated. And it was also commonplace with many Hispanics in the barrio that the extended family either lived with you or lived next door or on the same property.

But not being able to speak the common tongue still makes you an outsider. And worse, it practically makes it impossible to escape poverty because you do not have the same access to the better paying jobs. And that was something that my parents did not want to happen to them or to their children.

While I was growing up, education was huge factor in my household. My parents saw it as the ticket out of the barrio so they made a big deal about it. Even though Spanish was primarily spoken at home (and it still is when I visit my parents), my folks ensured that all the homework was done, that we studied for tests, and most importantly, that we stayed out of trouble. And not only was schoolwork on the agenda, but so was college which was the reason for the big emphasis on studying and doing well.

That is the harsh reality that people from both political parties and from each side of the ideological spectrum accept. And I am glad to see it reflected in the polls.

Well, my parents did get out of the barrio. With the support of my dad, my mom earned two college degrees while she was a middle-aged woman. And they retired in a nice suburban home. And all three of their kids earned college degrees too. And accomplishments like this happen every day.

Although it is easy for a rich white Liberal to demonize the requirement to learn English, the only way to get out of the barrio and to escape poverty is to learn the language of this country. Only then, can opportunities be seized and dreams realized. And I am truly fortunate that when I was living in the barrio, that my parents had big dreams for themselves and for their children.

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