Topic: English Language
English as Official Language for CONNECTICUT
I grew up in the neighborhood surrounding the 6 rooms Apartment my family rented at 142 Eldridge St, in Manchester, Connecticut. This apartment was half of a 2 family 6/6 room Duplex, this rental property was owned by a man named Rupert Bartley.
Across the street was a family of a father, mother and twin girls named Guovinni, and just to the west of their property was the building operated by The Sub Alpine Club, also known as The Italian American Club.
Also living in the neighborhood were families with the Surname including; Anderson, Muldoon, Enrico, Szemplinski, Welscopp. Lewitz. Firato, Dwyer, Bereea, England, Zacarro and so forth. There were a few businesses in the area including 3 small grocery stores Firato’s, England’s and Gremmo’s a Bakery known as Illuianno’s Bakery that also sold Pizza’s and an Italian sandwich of sliced meat, cheese, and vegetables in a long bread roll, known as a Grinder.
But regardless of the nationality of the owner’s of the stores, they all did business using English as the language. So even though the neighborhood was of many nationalities, and inside their homes many languages were spoken, outside the homes, English was the language used.
All of the people of the neighborhood accepted The United States of America as their country of choice, as it was their option to immigrate to these shores. And all of them understood that English was the language that was spoken here, so they all learned to speak the language, and read and write in the language of their adopted country, so they could do business and socialize with other immigrants from many other countries that lived here.
None of them demanded that signs and labels be written in their native language, as they all knew that the learning the language of their adopted land of opportunity was a task that they must accomplish for themselves in order to succeed, and for their children to be educated in this country. If they had wanted signs and legal documents to be in their native language, they would have been in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Polish, Norwegian, Swedish, Greek, and Yiddish, but these people were proud and wanted with all their hearts to become part of this great country that they had adopted as their very own.
The main reason that I feel Connecticut must declare English as the Official Language is that the idea of any group of a certain ethnicity might claim that all local and state documents also be written in their particular language, to make it easier for the people of their group to understand.
But the problem with that is that there are many groups of different nationalities that might claim the same for their group. I know we have all eaten at Chinese Restaurants, Greek Restaurants, French Restaurants, and Italian Restaurants, but what if each of these groups wanted their language to be included in all state documents. Remember there are over 2500 dialects of the 12 Chinese Languages.
The cost of printing the state documents in two, three, four, or even more languages would prohibitive. And if the immigrants of the last 200 years felt that by immigrating to the United States they should learn to speak the language of their adopted country, what makes the immigrants of today think they deserve anything different or any better?
The states and territories of: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming, have already made English their official language and I think Connecticut should join them
Making English the Official language of the State of Connecticut would resolve this situation and negate any of the particular groups from claiming it is their right and privilege to have any signs or documents printed in their language. And I believe it is the correct thing to do.
R. J. MacLachlan, Manchester, CT Jan. 26 2006
