# 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:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [March 1, 2025, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/41 "2025-03-01T04:37:33Z")
> [@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. “[Liberty Cabbage and Freedom Fries](https://www.hppr.org/hppr-arts-culture-history/2018-02-21/freedom-fries-liberty-cabbage-the-myth)”. And of course renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. America has a history of trying to “purify” itself of foreign terms when it goes off on one of its xenophobia campaigns. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2025, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/42 "2025-03-01T12:19:18Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > All depends on what’s considered English. We over here might have something to say about that. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2025, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/43 "2025-03-01T14:38:32Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > What public signs exist now in other languages? Newark Airport has a lot of signage in Spanish, in addition to English. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2025, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/44 "2025-03-01T15:30:04Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > “In Russia, I am physics professor. Here, I am janitor.” Huh? How many Russian physicists do you know who cannot speak English? Anyway, minority language speakers may want to study the successes and failures of language movements like Welsh, Irish, Basque… You need some active efforts if you do not want to lose the language wars. In the relevant areas I would be happy to see more/most signage in Spanish and hear people speaking Spanish, for example. ---
**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:** [March 1, 2025, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/45 "2025-03-01T22:21:54Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Oooh! I love that term! I wish I could take credit but I asked my wife and son what was the antonym for virtue and they both answered instantly, “vice”. ---
**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:** [March 1, 2025, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/46 "2025-03-01T22:40:42Z")
How did you forget The Town of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2025, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/47 "2025-03-02T00:17:11Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > So will my town have to change “El Lago Blvd” to “Lake Blvd” (one example of thousands here in AZ). No, it’ll be more that they’ll quit printing things like tax forms and other governmental forms and documents in anything except English, and they likely won’t conduct business at any government offices in anything except English. It’ll save a trivial amount of money in the context of the Federal budget, and it’ll seriously inconvenience people who don’t speak English well or at all. That’s really about it; street names in other languages are state-level things in the first place, and second, they’re not “official use” of a foreign language, just a name. Even if it was, it’s not like they’re going to go rename a majority of the States because their names derive from native languages, Spanish, or French. It’s just a way to pander to the “Hurr durr… furriners shuld lern American!” types out there, and make things more difficult for immigrants and foreigners. ---
**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:** [March 3, 2025, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/48 "2025-03-03T01:11:03Z")
I just wanted to mention that one thing the Quebec government does really, really well is translate tax forms and instructions into English. Other translations range from good to risible. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2025, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/49 "2025-03-04T19:13:07Z")
Street names in other languages are too numerous to bother about. What we really need to do is rename the states of Massachusetts, Delaware, Michigan, Illinois, Winconsin, Nevada, Utah, Florida, Alaska, Hawaii, Texas and any others whose names derive from Native American or Spanish words. Let’s throw in New Mexico while we are at it (New America?). And California because nobody seems to know where that came from anyway. And Indiana because Indians. (sarcasm, hope it is obvious) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2025, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/50 "2025-03-04T19:28:08Z")
> [@Zoobi](#): > > Oh those states will gladly prohibit them, many have been wanting to for years. I think this is the key point. This executive order will give cover to local governments that want to discriminate against non-English speakers Here’s an example. I know there are public elementary schools in Texas that offer classes in Spanish alongside classes in English (these are basic education classes like math and history). The schools also teach English as a second language to the Spanish speaking children but the idea is the kids can also learn subjects like math and history before they’ve mastered English. Officials who wish to shut down these classes for Spanish speaking children will now be able to use Trump’s declaration as cover. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2025, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928/51 "2025-03-04T22:28:24Z")
> [@Toxgoddess](#): > > Street names in other languages are too numerous to bother about. Historically untrue. When German-American culture was [erased](https://www.npr.org/2017/04/07/523044253/during-world-war-i-u-s-government-propaganda-erased-german-culture) in the US one thing they did go after was changing street names with “German influence”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-making-english-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/1014928.md?page=2)