I have long opposed voting ballots printed in foreign languages and Federal bilingual education programs which go beyond the goal of teaching foreign languagespeaking children learn English. If one chooses to be an American citizen. then you have to survive in a nation that conducts its entire process and legal system through the English language. The preservation of the immigrants national culture and language within the family unit is also important for the strength of this Nation. It keeps the family together. But the real strength lies within the family. ones religious beliefs. and in the institutions that our Nation was built on. We have built the strongest. the freest. and the best government system on Earth through these institutions. and the English language has played a major role in the growth of each of these strengths. Immigrants seek a better life in the United States of America because of these longestablished institutions and because America offers more to our citizens. and new citizens. than any other nation on Earth. The importance of the English language was recently highlighted in the report by the 20th century fund task force on education: Anyone living in the United States who is unable to speak English cannot fully participate in our society. its culture. its politics. A recent column on this subject in the Washington Post. by Neil Pierce. "Here. Opportunity Speaks EnglishWill Bilingualism Condemn Immigrants to the Ultimate Racism." provides insight into this question. and I recommend its reading to my colleagues in Congress. [From the Washington Post. June 26. 1983)
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