NPR Code Switch is reporting that President Donald J Trump signed an executive order last year making English the official language of the United States. It said the order aimed to promote unity, cultivate a shared American culture, ensure consistency in government operations and create a pathway to civic engagement.
The outlet reported that in practice, the directive meant many federal government services and paperwork stopped offering non-English language options. It also froze money allocated for programs designed to help people learn English across the country.
Code Switch’s Xavier Lopez explained in a recent episode that this move is an "under-considered front" in Trump's nativist project. Lopez noted that English language learner programs often serve as vital pipelines to various social services for immigrants to the U.S. and provide a low-stakes environment for language acquisition. Lopez, who immigrated from Ecuador as a child and learned English through television, shared his personal connection to the story, highlighting the distinct challenges adults face when learning a new language compared to children. He also mentioned his native Queens, New York, as a linguistically diverse area.