Republicans should give up their ugly campaign to declare English our official language.

But Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, keeps pushing it.

Earlier this month, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on HR 97, known as the English Unity Act of 2011, the latest version of an English only bill that King has been trying to pass since 2005. It would place an English language requirement in workplaces and at official government functions.

The introduction of the law is meant to marginalize non-English language speakers in general and to specifically target Spanish speakers and Latinos.

One would think that King would understand that this is not the time to push a bill that antagonizes one of the fastest-growing demographics in the United States and one of the most coveted voting blocs.

According to the U.S. Census, “Those who hablan español constitute 12 percent of U.S. residents.” More than half of these Spanish-speakers speak English “very well,” and there are 50.5 million Latinos in the United States and growing.
While not all Latinos speak Spanish, it’s quite likely that their parents or grandparents do. Latino voters, who could be critical in determining this year’s presidential election, certainly will not feel any affinity towards a party that seeks to isolate and even attack them or their loved ones.

King claims the purpose of the bill is to unify people under a common language. But no one is denying the importance of English or that it already is the de facto language of the United States. However, we need to reconsider the myth of the melting pot. The United States is more like a mixed salad, every piece retaining its flavor while existing in one bowl.

The fact that Latinos are a larger part of the bowl should not be a cause for alarm, much less hate. And it certainly should not be at the root of legislation that divides us, rather than unites us.

Maegan E. Ortiz is a freelance writer and publisher of VivirLatino.com. She can be reached at pmproj@progressive.org.