On March 1, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing English as the official national language of the United States of America. It is the first designation of an official national language in the nation’s history.
The modern United States is composed of diverse territories and populations that historically spoke a wide variety of languages, primarily Spanish, German, French and English, in addition to indigenous American languages. The administration argues that a single designated language will create a stronger national community, but critics worry that it might adversely impact non-English communities throughout the American states and territories.
Watch the above video as Straight Arrow News contributor Ruben Navarrette argues against Trump’s designation of English as the official U.S. language, calling the order “farcical” and “xenophobic.” Navarrette argues that diversity, far from being a vulnerability, is an American strength.
The following is an excerpt from the above video:
Be that as it may, Trump is focused now on defending English. His executive order, which is the first of its kind for America, reads: “A nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society, and the United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exchange ideas in one shared language.”
One shared language! Whatever country Trump is talking about, [it] ain’t the United States. We’re not just the world’s number one economic engine and military power. We’re also a country of linguistic mutts who speak dozens of languages from a multitude of countries and somehow still manage to communicate with one another. That’s America, baby.
I realize that, to Trump, this language stew must sound awfully messy. In a White House meeting during his first term, the president reportedly asked why the United States must take in immigrants from “shit-hole countries.” He suggested admitting a lot more people from Norway. Norway, huh? Yeah, for Trump, that sounds about white.
I realized that no one asked me, but I don’t want to be Norway. I don’t want the United States to be Norway, where I presume everyone looks the same and speaks the same language — boring!
Trump’s executive order continues: “To promote unity, cultivate a shared American culture for all citizens, ensure consistency in government operations and create a pathway to civic engagement, it is in America’s best interest for the federal government to designate one and only one official language.”
You know what would really be in America’s best interest? If voters would stop electing these slimy and opportunistic politicians who play divisive games with race, ethnicity, immigration, language and other things that help make the USA one of the strongest and most diverse nations on the globe.