Official Language Status
The United States does not have a national official language; nevertheless, English (specifically American English) is the primary language used for legislation, regulations, executive orders, treaties, federal court rulings, and all other official pronouncements; although there are laws requiring documents such as ballots to be printed in multiple languages when there are large numbers of non-English speakers in an area.
As part of what has been called the English-only movement, some states have adopted legislation granting official status to English. As of April 2011, out of 50 states, 28 had established English as the official language, including Hawaii where English and Hawaiian are both official.
Place | English official | Other language(s) | Note | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | Yes | No | since 1990 | |
Alaska | Yes | No | since 2007; 1998 law ruled unconstitutional | |
Arizona | Yes | No | since 2006; 1988 law ruled unconstitutional | |
Arkansas | Yes | No | since 1987 | |
California | Yes | No | since 1986 | |
Colorado | Yes | No | since 1988 | |
Connecticut | No | No | ||
Delaware | No | No | ||
Florida | Yes | No | since 1988 | |
Georgia | Yes | No | since 1996 | |
Hawaii | Yes | Hawaiian | since 1978 | |
Idaho | Yes | No | since 2007 | |
Illinois | Yes | No | since 1969; "American" official 1923-1969 | |
Indiana | Yes | No | since 1984 | |
Iowa | Yes | No | since 2002 | |
Kansas | Yes | No | since 2007 | |
Kentucky | Yes | No | since 1984 | |
Louisiana | No | No | ||
Maine | No | No | ||
Maryland | No | No | ||
Massachusetts | No | No | ||
Michigan | No | No | ||
Minnesota | No | No | ||
Mississippi | Yes | No | since 1987 | |
Missouri | No | No | ||
Montana | Yes | No | since 1995 | |
Nebraska | Yes | No | since 1923 | |
Nevada | No | No | ||
New Hampshire | Yes | No | since 1995 | |
New Jersey | No | No | ||
New Mexico | No | No | Spanish has had special status since 1912 passage of state constitution |
see article |
New York | No | No | ||
North Carolina | Yes | No | since 1987 | |
North Dakota | Yes | No | since 1987 | |
Ohio | No | No | ||
Oklahoma | Yes | No | since 2010 | |
Oregon | No | No | English Plus since 1989 | |
Pennsylvania | No | No | ||
Rhode Island | No | No | English Plus since 1992 | |
South Carolina | Yes | No | since 1987 | |
South Dakota | Yes | No | since 1995 | |
Tennessee | Yes | No | since 1984 | |
Texas | No | No | ||
Utah | Yes | No | since 2000 | |
Vermont | No | No | ||
Virginia | Yes | No | since 1981 | |
Washington | No | No | English Plus since 1989 | |
West Virginia | No | No | ||
Wisconsin | No | No | ||
Wyoming | Yes | No | since 1996 | |
American Samoa | Yes | Samoan | ||
District of Columbia | No | No | ||
Guam | Yes | Chamorro | ||
Northern Mariana Islands | Yes | Chamorro, Carolinian | ||
Puerto Rico | Yes | Spanish | ||
U.S. Virgin Islands | Yes | No |
Read more about this topic: Languages Of The United States
Famous quotes containing the words official, language and/or status:
“I thought it altogether proper that I should take a brief furlough from official duties at Washington to mingle with you here to-day as a comrade, because every President of the United States must realize that the strength of the Government, its defence in war, the army that is to muster under its banner when our Nation is assailed, is to be found here in the masses of our people.”
—Benjamin Harrison (18331901)
“Poetry is the universal language which the heart holds with nature and itself. He who has a contempt for poetry, cannot have much respect for himself, or for anything else.”
—William Hazlitt (17781830)
“screenwriter
Policemen so cherish their status as keepers of the peace and protectors of the public that they have occasionally been known to beat to death those citizens or groups who question that status.”
—David Mamet (b. 1947)