Speech #980202971

Speaker. as the chief sponsor of a proposed constitutional amendment (H.J. Res. 169) which designates English as the official language of the United States. I am deeply concerned with our Nations ability to effectively assimilate the growing numbers of nonEnglishspeaking immigrants and refugees into American society. Because the decision to admit immigrants and refugees to our country is a Federal one. I believe the Federal Government has a responsibility to provide services and training to these special individuals. I strongly believe. however. that this assistance should serve to integrate the nonEnglishspeaking populations in America into U.S. society. not to promote the segregation of Americas immigrants. Rather than encouraging the adaption of immigrants to the speech and customs of their new homeland. the Federal Government is prolonging their assimilation by sponsoring bilingual programs which enhance dissimilarities between immigrants and the mainstream of American life and thus which inhibit the process of acculteration. A major example of such programs is bilingual education. the primary method utilized for increasing limited English proficient (LEP) students proficiency in English. This method was essentially institutionalized by the Federal Government in 1975 when the Department of Health.