English Only Promotes Intolerance

Let us be clear here. If Oklahoma residents eventually vote to approve an English-only amendment to the state constitution, the state will deservedly be known as a place intolerant to other cultures and languages.

This intolerance, which some people will term racist and xenophobic, could cost the state in economic development, lower international college student enrollment and prevent the state’s population from growing at national averages. All these potential consequences will isolate the state just as the country faces dire economic problems.

An English-only bill has been circulating in the Oklahoma Legislature this session. It has passed overwhelmingly in the House and is now pending in the Senate. It would make state voters decide in November if English should be the official state language. (English, of course, is the defacto official language already.) The constitutional amendment would require all state business be conducted in English. One of the co-sponsors of the legislation and its main public spokesman is state Rep. Randy Terrill (R-Moore), who authored the draconian state anti-illegal immigration laws approved last year.

If approved, the bill would primarily prevent the state from offering any state services or documents—such as driver’s license tests—in Spanish and other non-English languages unless federal law supersedes the state requirement. Make no mistake about it. The amendment, just like Terrill’s anti-illegal immigration bill, is targeted at Hispanic people here.

This continued targeting or scapegoating of Hispanic people, followed by the hollow denials of this insidious intent among some state leaders, is despicable, but the amendment, if approved by voters, will send another terrible message about this state. It will tell the world that Oklahoma is a backwards, bigoted place. This could obviously inhibit Hispanic people and many businesses from locating here. Universities will be duty bound to tell potential international students the state has strict anti-immigration and English-only laws. The state will then struggle, as it often has, to attract people to live here and the quality of life and income levels will decline.

No one denies that immigrants to this country should learn English. Immigrants know that more than anyone else. English is the worldwide language of money, at least for now. But there are obviously circumstances where new immigrants need time to learn the language or when visitors need help. There are also emergency health care and legal situations in which translators are required. Oklahoma, of all places, should be accepting of new people who want to work, live and visit here. The English-only bill does not even give them a chance or make them feel welcome.

There are larger, philosophical issues related to this amendment as well. Americans should learn different languages given globalization and the world economy. Promoting language studies should be a large ongoing initiative in our country right now given current world politics. We should be promoting language studies in our schools here. Instead, in Oklahoma, we isolate ourselves and withdraw from the modern world. This bill tells people from other countries they are not welcome here. It tells our children here that they do not need to learn another language.