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EQUAL TIME: By Phil Kent "Since our nation's founding, countless millions of immigrants from every corner of the globe have forged proud new identities as Americans and succeeded in their new land by learning English and adopting our civic values and institutions. But today, in the midst of the largest wave of immigration in our history, there are troubling signs we are letting this priceless gift of unity, our common language, slip away." So begins a "Dear Colleague" letter circulated by U.S. Sens. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) and Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.) on the need to pass the National Language Act, a bill making English the official language of government and creating a special legal status it has not enjoyed before. At the same time, since there is no national law, states must implement them. So passage in Georgia of proposed constitutional amendment, House Resolution 413, by Rep. Tim Bearden (R-Villa Rica), would be a progressive step. A Pew Hispanic survey of Mexican migrants last March reveals that,
among those residing in the U.S. for six to 10 years, 25 percent spoke
English "not well" or "not at all." Pew also found
that among those living in the U.S. for 15 or more years, 45 percent
spoke English "not well or not at all." According to the U.S.
Census, the number of people between 1990 and 2000 who said they speak
English "not at all" or "not well" soared by 65
percent to total a whopping 11.9 million "linguistically isolated" A March 2006 Zogby poll found 84 percent of likely voters agreeing that English must be the official language for government operations. This sentiment flies in the face of Executive Order 13166, signed by President Bill Clinton. It requires federal agencies and fund recipients to provide translations and interpreters for non-English speakers in their native language —- at taxpayer expense. One immigrant special interest lobby in Virginia argued against legislation requiring written driver's license exams to be in English by claiming tests in English alone violate the Clinton multilingual order. Georgia offers the driver's license exam in 15 languages. This is incredible. We're talking about giving driver's licenses to people who can't read basic English signs like "Yield to Oncoming Traffic" or "Stop for Children in Crosswalk." Miscommunication needs to be addressed, not encouraged, and passage
of HR By the way, Bearden's amendment includes exceptions in which using languages other than English is allowed. They include protecting public health and safety, guarding criminal defendants' rights and promoting trade and tourism. But it is very important that the documents of government be in our common tongue. The cost of hiring translators for documents in other languages could bankrupt the state in coming years. This is an issue in all 50 states where wide support cuts across partisan,
racial and ideological lines. Regardless of what happens in the U.S. Phil Kent is an Atlanta public relations executive who serves on the advisory board of the non-profit group ProEnglish. This column is solicited to provide another viewpoint to an AJC editorial published today. To respond to an AJC editorial, contact David Beasley at dbeasley@ajc.com or call 404-526-7371. Responses should be no longer than 600 words. Not all responses can be published. Published responses may be republished and made available in the AJC or other databases and electronic formats. ORIGINAL EDITORIAL: Published on: 03/08/07 Do you have trouble translating the hypothetical government notice below?
If so, it probably helps to have the English version right under it. Now think about the thousands of Georgia residents — many of them citizens of our country — who have yet to master written English. What would happen to them if they received an official government notice, in a language they couldn't fully understand, about something as critically important as their house being sold at public auction because of a property tax mix-up? Some Georgia legislators have an answer: "Too bad." They propose a constitutional amendment that would allow official government documents to be in English only. Even if it passes and is approved by voters, the courts — federal and state — will ultimately decide whether it has any real force of law. But it has the potential to create a real mess for a lot of innocent people. The state agency that licenses drivers, for example, provides exams and driving information in at least a dozen languages because it helps new residents understand the rules of the road. Courts are required to provide translators for non-English-speaking defendants so they know what is happening to them. Schools help non-English-speaking parents keep up to date with their children's education. And no one — other than the usual anti-immigrant grandstanders — sees such action as a serious problem. — Mike King, for the editorial board (mking@ajc.com) AVISO AVISO AVISO Se le notifica al dueño y residente de esta residencia que la propiedad será vendida en una subasta pública a la entrada del tribunal a las doce del mediodía el dia 30 del mes. NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE The owner and occupant of the above referenced dwelling is hereby notified that the property will be sold, at auction, on the courthouse steps at noon on the 30th of the month. |
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