First and foremost. it designates English as the official language of the United States of America. In so doing. it states that English is the preferred language of communication among American citizens and that the Federal Government shall support and promote the use of English within its borders. My bill instructs the Immigration and Naturalization Service to establish an English language proficiency standard for all citizenship applicants and administer the exam to prospective citizens. This would ensure that new Americans understood the value and necessity of learning English. because their citizenship would depend on it. This is hardly a new idea. By 1906. Congress had decided to require oral English literacy as a condition of becoming a naturalized American citizen. In 1950. Congress added the requirement that persons who wish to become citizens must "demonstrate an understanding of the English language. including an ability to read. write and speak words in ordinary usage in the English language." The problem is that we have not applied this requirement in a consistent and effective manner.
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naturalized Naturalization Immigration