# Consequences of making English the official language of the United States **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 28, 2025, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928 "2025-02-28T15:22:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/21 "2025-02-28T17:49:42Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > Maybe I go to the SS office and they won’t get me an interpreter- but there are translation apps now. They’ll probably try to outlaw translation programs as treasonous, once they realize that. It would be typical of their hamhandedness and overreaching. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/22 "2025-02-28T17:53:21Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > I would think suprisingly few, but almost all of those unintended. English is slready the de facto official language. Not in all areas. There are parts of Los Angeles for example where English is useless. > [@Jas09](#): > > For reference, the requirement in the CRA is: > “No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” “Language” is notable absent from that cite. ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/23 "2025-02-28T17:57:33Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Declaring an official language means the official language has to be defined. There has to be an official method to determine what words, phrases, pronunciations, punctuation, etc are a part of the official language and which are not. The details will make enforcement either ineffective or burdensome. Ah ha! And now we learn the real point. The performative meanness is just a bonus. The real purpose is to sell **The Trump Dictionary**. Only $59.99 + S/H. All schools receiving Federal funding will be required to have this dictionary for every student. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/24 "2025-02-28T18:12:39Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > In Russia, I am physics professor. Here, I am janitor.” When I was working, I had a highly niche career that involved very high end home automation systems for very wealthy people. At the completion of one project ( for a family member of someone that is well known for his efforts to westernize Eastern Europe ) I was asked to review the system with their handyman for maintenance purpose. The guy caught on really quickly despite his poor English skills, and it turned out he used to be the tech director for the Bolshoi Ballet in the former USSR. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/25 "2025-02-28T18:19:29Z")
> [@Zoobi](#): > > Public signs in languages other than English will likely be outlawed in many states. I’m a bit confused. What public signs are in other languages now? In multilingual countries, you’ll see street signs with multiple languages on them. For example, in Israel, signs on the highway are in Hebrew, Arabic, and English. Here in the US, I’ve only seen highway signs in English? Maybe my imagination is failing me. What public signs exist now in other languages? Unless you are including _private_ signs that are _in public_? That’s a totally different topic, and one where first amendment protections are much stronger. The government could take Spanish off their own signs (but again, I can’t think of any public signs that are in Spanish now?). They can’t force a taco shop to change the langauge of their own sign. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/26 "2025-02-28T18:20:55Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > I can see tribal lands reverting to signs solely in their native language in protest. And when you think of all those tribal casinos across America … I’m pretty sure they care more about people coming to their casino and spending money than about virtue signaling to counter Trump’s own virtue signaling. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/27 "2025-02-28T18:33:27Z")
You misunderstand me: it’s already the de facto language for the federal government. ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/28 "2025-02-28T18:34:44Z")
Many schools and public buildings have multi-lingual signs. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/29 "2025-02-28T18:37:17Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Declaring an official language means the official language has to be defined. Yeah, the “malicious compliance” part of my brain immediately started wondering whether, absent an officially approved form of the language, I could argue that I need the government to communicate with me in Hiberno-English. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/30 "2025-02-28T18:41:41Z")
I’ve seen lots of government signs in languages other than English. Street and highway signs are not the only type of government sign. The government agency I worked for had signs in the waiting room regarding the rules - English and Spanish. Most government offices I have been in have signs in both English and Spanish (if they have any signs at all) A state could force a municipality to only use English on its signs ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/31 "2025-02-28T18:43:48Z")
Yeah, the county office I visited when I had SNAP had all signs in English and Spanish. ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/32 "2025-02-28T18:45:42Z")
I know it’s easy to dismiss opposition to this as virtue signalling, but I think there will be real impacts that negatively affect a lot of people. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/33 "2025-02-28T20:54:25Z")
So will my town have to change “El Lago Blvd” to “Lake Blvd” (one example of thousands here in AZ). > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > They’ll probably try to outlaw translation programs as treasonous Depends on who provides the translation program. I can see Elmo rolling out “X Translate” as the Official Translation Program and charging the government $10 billion for a license. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/34 "2025-02-28T22:26:24Z")
Uh, it’s going to be quite the full-employment act for cartographers – not just limited to the southwest. ‘Angels’, Saint James, Saint Francis, Saint Peter, Sacrament, The Straights, Crosses… the cities of Second and Meadows… and on and on. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/35 "2025-02-28T22:33:45Z")
> [@Civil\_Guy](#): > > Uh, it’s going to be quite the full-employment act for cartographers – not just limited to the southwest. ‘Angels’, Saint James, Saint Francis, Saint Peter, Sacrament, The Straights, Crosses… the cities of Second and Meadows… and on and on I get the joke, but there’s really no reason to think that if America has English as an official language it will have to rename all places with Spanish names. Take France, for example, which definitely has a single official language, that being French… And yet, it has cities with foreign names, like Strasbourg. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/36 "2025-02-28T22:38:38Z")
Yes, absurdity is the point. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/37 "2025-02-28T22:40:06Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > I get the joke, but there’s really no reason to think that if America has English as an official language it will have to rename all places with Spanish names. All depends on what’s considered English. It’s not like the current regime can be expected to competently legislate. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/38 "2025-02-28T23:32:45Z")
Making English the official language does not, per se, preclude the use of other languages. In fact, unless it is followed by the kinds of regulations discussed above, it does nothing at all. It is vice-signalling, nothing more. Here in Quebec, French is the only official language. At one point, they ordered the people manning the official tourist offices not to speak English. This didn’t go over too well and was soon ignored. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/39 "2025-02-28T23:39:15Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > It is vice-signalling Oooh! I love that term! ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2025, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/40 "2025-02-28T23:52:39Z")
It might make it illegal to display signs for private businesses in other languages without an English translation? It’s not going to make a big difference in itself. It’s what it signals that you might want to worry about. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928.md?page=3)