The ultimate goal of the nonpartisan group U.S. English Inc. is to get Congress to declare English as the official language of the U.S. government and promote a comprehensive national language policy with English as the official language.
The group has succeeded in helping 31 states recognizing English as the official language, according to an email statement by U.S. English Chairman Mauro E. Mujica.
“We are currently working in the remaining 19. So far this year, U.S. English has worked with representatives in Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia to introduce bills that would declare English the official language, and we continue to work daily on getting these bills the attention they need to move through committees and to ultimate passage,” Mujica said.
“We anticipate a hearing in Pennsylvania in the coming weeks, and while the Michigan and West Virginia bills have missed their window for passage this year, we are already assisting in planning for the re-introduction of these bills next year,” said Mujica.
Mujica, an immigrant himself, outlined the troubles those who do not learn English face.
“Unfortunately, without English proficiency, immigrants are often linguistically isolated—facing a lower paying job, less likely to have health insurance and other benefits, and encountering language barriers on a daily basis,” Mujica said.
