Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What would the official English amendment do?
A: It would require that the Nashville Metro Council’s official actions and communications – those that have legal authority to bind or commit the city – be done in English and not in other languages. Official meetings of the city council as well as of all city boards and commissions would have to be conducted in English. No person could demand city services or communications in another language unless specifically required by federal or state law.
Q: Why does Nashville need an official language?
A: It is important to clarify that although there are many languages spoken in Nashville, only one – English – is authorized for official government actions and communications. Having one language as the official language avoids arguments and potential lawsuits over the meaning of translations, costs less than using multiple languages, and treats all other languages the same instead of favoring one immigrant group over another.
Q: What’s changed? Why do we have to do this now?
A: Like our nation, Nashville is experiencing a record wave of non-English speaking immigration, both legal and illegal. In many places this has led to increasing DEMANDS for government services in other languages. That is wrong. Most immigrants understand that learning English is essential to their successful pursuit of the American dream. But, just like earlier immigrants they have a responsibility to learn our nation’s language and assimilate. Removing incentives for them to learn English is bad public policy.
Q: Will an official language restrict the languages that private individuals and businesses use?
A: No. Official English only applies to government actions and communications. Private individuals and businesses are not affected.
Q: Does having an official language mean that Nashville city agencies or city officials could never use another language?
A: No. There are exceptions necessary to comply with federal or state law. City officials and city employees also would have the same rights to use other languages in unofficial communications and in private communications that other citizens have. The Nashville Metro Council would have the power to make other health and safety exceptions by passing specific laws.
Q: Have other cities and jurisdictions made English their official language?
A: Yes. Thirty (30) U.S. states and hundreds of U.S. cities, counties, and towns have adopted English as their official language. Fifty-three (53) countries located mostly in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean have done the same. Nashville would be the largest U.S. city to date to adopt English as its official language.
Q: Will an official language save taxpayers money?
A: Yes, providing city services and documents in multiple languages wastes ink and paper and costs far more than providing them in English alone. Nashville spends around $100,000 per year on interpreters alone, while our seniors on fixed incomes pay $600 - $900 for an ambulance ride to the hospital. It would stop politicians like New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg who recently ordered all city agencies to start providing services in six foreign languages in addition to English at enormous cost to that city.
Q: Is it divisive, mean-spirited, or anti-immigrant to have an official language?
A: No, it’s the opposite. It’s truly inclusive as well as essential to unifying our increasingly diverse population. The ‘melting pot’ tradition has made the U.S. the most successful multi-ethnic nation in the history of the world. By expecting immigrants to learn English we encourage them to improve their skills and earning power, pursue the American dream and become fully self-sufficient participants in our democracy – just as our ancestors set in motion for us.
Q: Then why do the Mayor and many interest groups and community leaders oppose official English?
A: That’s a good question. Perhaps the biggest reason is that certain interest groups and business associations stand to gain politically or economically by keeping people linguistically isolated and viewing themselves as members of a particular ethnic group rather than as fully assimilated Americans. These groups put pressure on politicians and institutions to back their agenda by threatening to label opponents “bigots” or worse. Other opponents have a knee-jerk reaction against anything that is not seen as politically correct. But some people are sincere in their opposition and mistakenly think they are helping immigrants by removing incentives for them to learn English
Q: Would official English deter foreign companies from locating in Nashville?
A: There is no evidence that official English laws have ever deterred a foreign company from locating in any of the thirty states or hundreds of localities that have already adopted official English laws. Almost all the managers or executives foreign companies send to the U.S. are fluent in English before they come here. The factors that drive foreign companies’ decisions are things like access to markets, superior public transportation and infrastructure, a skilled labor force, low taxes and red tape, and a business friendly environment. One reason why the U.S. is attractive as a place to do business is that it is a huge market in which workers, customers, and government officials all speak the same language, English. So it’s much easier and cheaper to do business here than it is in a multilingual market like the European Union.
Q: Would adoption of an official English charter amendment in Nashville result in costly lawsuits?
A: It is unlikely because courts have consistently upheld the right of states and local governments to designate an official language. But there could be a legal challenge. If that happens, a national official English advocacy organization named ProEnglish (www.proenglish.org) has offered to provide legal assistance to help the city defend the law, as ProEnglish has done successfully in other places.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What would the official English amendment do?
A: It would require that the Nashville Metro Council’s official actions and communications – those that have legal authority to bind or commit the city – be done in English and not in other languages. Official meetings of the city council as well as of all city boards and commissions would have to be conducted in English. No person could demand city services or communications in another language unless specifically required by federal or state law.
Q: Why does Nashville need an official language?
A: It is important to clarify that although there are many languages spoken in Nashville, only one – English – is authorized for official government actions and communications. Having one language as the official language avoids arguments and potential lawsuits over the meaning of translations, costs less than using multiple languages, and treats all other languages the same instead of favoring one immigrant group over another.
Q: What’s changed? Why do we have to do this now?
A: Like our nation, Nashville is experiencing a record wave of non-English speaking immigration, both legal and illegal. In many places this has led to increasing DEMANDS for government services in other languages. That is wrong. Most immigrants understand that learning English is essential to their successful pursuit of the American dream. But, just like earlier immigrants they have a responsibility to learn our nation’s language and assimilate. Removing incentives for them to learn English is bad public policy.
Q: Will an official language restrict the languages that private individuals and businesses use?
A: No. Official English only applies to government actions and communications. Private individuals and businesses are not affected.
Q: Does having an official language mean that Nashville city agencies or city officials could never use another language?
A: No. There are exceptions necessary to comply with federal or state law. City officials and city employees also would have the same rights to use other languages in unofficial communications and in private communications that other citizens have. The Nashville Metro Council would have the power to make other health and safety exceptions by passing specific laws.
Q: Have other cities and jurisdictions made English their official language?
A: Yes. Thirty (30) U.S. states and hundreds of U.S. cities, counties, and towns have adopted English as their official language. Fifty-three (53) countries located mostly in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean have done the same. Nashville would be the largest U.S. city to date to adopt English as its official language.
Q: Will an official language save taxpayers money?
A: Yes, providing city services and documents in multiple languages wastes ink and paper and costs far more than providing them in English alone. Nashville spends around $100,000 per year on interpreters alone, while our seniors on fixed incomes pay $600 - $900 for an ambulance ride to the hospital. It would stop politicians like New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg who recently ordered all city agencies to start providing services in six foreign languages in addition to English at enormous cost to that city.
Q: Is it divisive, mean-spirited, or anti-immigrant to have an official language?
A: No, it’s the opposite. It’s truly inclusive as well as essential to unifying our increasingly diverse population. The ‘melting pot’ tradition has made the U.S. the most successful multi-ethnic nation in the history of the world. By expecting immigrants to learn English we encourage them to improve their skills and earning power, pursue the American dream and become fully self-sufficient participants in our democracy – just as our ancestors set in motion for us.
Q: Then why do the Mayor and many interest groups and community leaders oppose official English?
A: That’s a good question. Perhaps the biggest reason is that certain interest groups and business associations stand to gain politically or economically by keeping people linguistically isolated and viewing themselves as members of a particular ethnic group rather than as fully assimilated Americans. These groups put pressure on politicians and institutions to back their agenda by threatening to label opponents “bigots” or worse. Other opponents have a knee-jerk reaction against anything that is not seen as politically correct. But some people are sincere in their opposition and mistakenly think they are helping immigrants by removing incentives for them to learn English
Q: Would official English deter foreign companies from locating in Nashville?
A: There is no evidence that official English laws have ever deterred a foreign company from locating in any of the thirty states or hundreds of localities that have already adopted official English laws. Almost all the managers or executives foreign companies send to the U.S. are fluent in English before they come here. The factors that drive foreign companies’ decisions are things like access to markets, superior public transportation and infrastructure, a skilled labor force, low taxes and red tape, and a business friendly environment. One reason why the U.S. is attractive as a place to do business is that it is a huge market in which workers, customers, and government officials all speak the same language, English. So it’s much easier and cheaper to do business here than it is in a multilingual market like the European Union.
Q: Would adoption of an official English charter amendment in Nashville result in costly lawsuits?
A: It is unlikely because courts have consistently upheld the right of states and local governments to designate an official language. But there could be a legal challenge. If that happens, a national official English advocacy organization named ProEnglish (www.proenglish.org) has offered to provide legal assistance to help the city defend the law, as ProEnglish has done successfully in other places.