FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 4, 2025

HACU statement on designating English as the official language of the United States

SAN ANTONIO – The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities’ President and CEO Antonio R. Flores has issued the following statement on the Executive Order issued by the White House on March 1, 2025, Designating English as the Official Language of the United States.

English is the dominant language in the United States of America, with Spanish the next major language. This makes the U.S. the second largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, after Mexico, the nation’s main commercial partner. Hundreds of other languages are also spoken in this country including Mandarin, French, German, Hindi, Arabic, Vietnamese, Tagalog and Portuguese. "E pluribus unum" reaffirms America’s linguistic and cultural diversity with English the common thread in the colorful tapestry of assorted national origins converging in our great nation. While English is our primary language and one we all strive to master, declaring it as the "official" language may not be necessary, as it is already central to our shared experience. 

Establishing a distinction between “official and “unofficial” languages may lead to the marginalization of native speakers of languages other than English. This could raise concerns about potentially limiting their First Amendment right to free speech. It could also deny limited-English speakers fair and equal access to their government and to essential public services, including health and education, in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. State and federal courts have found such distinctions unconstitutional in the past.

Historically, the U.S. Congress has resisted numerous legislative proposals making English the official language for all the above reasons. Congress has recognized the value of nurturing the use of languages other than English as an economic and social asset in our increasingly global economy. English-only initiatives would have a chilling effect on the learning and usage of languages that add value to America’s rich tradition of embracing the best from each culture to make our nation stronger, more prosperous, and with expanding freedoms. An “English-plus” model, rather than “English-only” fosters a more inclusive and dynamic society. 

A presidential decree establishing English as the sole official language of our country is inconsistent with our nation’s history, current realities, and future aspirations. This action could marginalize millions of Americans whose primary language may differ but remain equally significant to them as English. To diminish that value-added by fiat is tantamount to depriving our nation of their linguistic assets and sending the message to younger generations of immigrants and limited-English speakers that their mother language and culture are unwelcomed. This would be a sad and self-inflicted injury to our country’s future and national security.

We respectfully invite President Trump to rescind the Executive Order Designating English as the Official Language of the United States with due expediency to reaffirm our nation’s rich multicultural heritage and destiny as the land of the free, where we can express ourselves proudly in English and in any other language without fear of discrimination.  

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