My name is Teresa Hoang.

To begin my case, I offer a quote by our former president, Theodore Roosevelt: We

have one language here, and that is the English language, and we intend to see that the
assimilation crucible turns our people out as Americans.
It is in the position that English should be the official language of the United States,
that I feel compelled to affirm todays resolution and put my claims in regards to
the topic.
Resolved: Establishing English as the official language of the United States will help
those residing in the United States to better integrate into American society and will,
thus, form a more unified nation.
For clarification of todays round, I offer the following definitions:
Official language: To have English as the official language of the United States
government means that any government documents, legal proceedings, or other
government business will be in English only. Translations are provided for official
business and documents. It does not refer to the language used by people or country,
but by its government.
Translation: As defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, to translate something
means to change words from language into another language, or to explain (something)
in a way that is easier to understand.Translations are provided for official business and
documents.
Democracy: A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible
members of a state, typically through elected representatives.
History: The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines history as a chronological record of
significant events (as affecting a nation or institution) often including an explanation of
their causes.
The highest value within todays round is social justice.
Social justice is defined as the fair and proper administration of laws conforming to the
natural law that all persons, irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, possessions, race,
religion, etc., are to be treated equally and without prejudice.
Social justice is most important in todays round because establishing English as
an official language will help citizens to unify under one common core, allowing them to
coexist and blend different cultures beyond prejudice or cultural barriers.
The best criterion for evaluating this resolution is integration.
As defined by Dictionary.com, cultural integration means the free association of people
from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, a goal to overcome policies of segregation
that have been evident in the United States.. It best achieves my value of social
justice because everyone is granted the same basic rights, but with cultural barriers,
can be hindered to those rights.
In affirming the resolution, I offer the following contentions:
Contention I: America is based on democratic ideals.
As a country based on democratic ideals, the government should listen to the people. I,
along with 87% of this nations population, believe that making English the official
language will unify the nation. A common language will create a better understanding

between different groups. As of 2010, 30 states have implemented English as their

official language, including but not limited to: California, Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, and
Virginia. So as statistics have it, the vast majority of Americans support Official English,
including Hispanic Americans: 87% of American voters; 77% of Hispanic voters; 72% of
American young people ages 18-24, and 74% of American voters agree that election
ballots should be exclusively in English. 82% of American voters agree that American
legislation should require the federal government to conduct business solely in English.
Contention II: Official English will advance integration, as proven by history.
There are many reasons why we study history, but one prominent reason is to learn
from mistakes and learn the best ways to approach things. Relevant to history, the
Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and all of our countrys foundational
documents are written in English. Success of immigrants was and is achieved by
learning English and assimilating their culture into American culture, dominated by
English. Official English aids American assimilation. Currently, there are more than 322
languages spoken by Americans, and to implement Official English would provide a
common means of communication. The overwhelming majority of United States
citizens, 95%, already speak English, so English would be natural to the population.
Contention III: Official English is in public interest.
If American families and citizens or those immigrating to America are taught English, it
will help them integrate more successfully into American society. It will help them as
they search for jobs and encourage them to be more active citizens. Its a matter of
public safety. If one does not know how to read, speak, or write English, they are more
vulnerable. They might have trouble with prescription or traffic directions. If a drivers
license can be issued through a non-English test, then the driver with the license may
be unable to read road signs, thus becoming a danger on the road. A margin of more
than 2:1 immigrants and 9:1 Hispanic immigrants believe that learning English is
essential to succeed in the U.S. If a common language is not promoted, a segregated
society will be created in which people are not able to communicate and relate to one
another. Difficulty to communicate with others and the states will hinder successful
integration.
Conclusion
I have shown you that Official English will advance integration and is in the best
interest of the American public, whom overwhelmingly believe that English should be
implemented as the official language. For these reasons we can clearly conclude
that social justice should be upheld and the English as the United States official
language would be practical.
Rebuttal: (4 minutes)
The idea that Official English obstructs diversity is flawed. Official English does not
mean English only. None of the 30 states with official English laws prohibit government
agencies from using another language when there is public interest in doing so. These

include protecting public health and safety, ensuring equality before the law, promoting
tourism, teaching foreign language, providing national defense, etc. Official English has
nothing to do with discrimination. People from every race still have their right to practice
their cultures as they please, and many people from every race even come the United
States to learn and understand English. An individual can choose to learn English. If
they feel disadvantaged because they are not able to read government documents,
ballots, or defend themselves in court, it is their choice to change this by learning
English (or government agencies can provide them with a means of translation).
America will still be a country of diversity. Americans can still practice their original
culture. Official English will not hinder that, it will simply help in bringing these cultures
together.
Preservation of culture is not directly linked to the education of English. Implementing
official english is not a means of forced assimilation. Preservation of culture comes
directly from the willingness of people to conserve their own culture. Those who are
educated in the language of culture in which they are living still have full right to be
interested about their own mother roots and culture.
Rebuttal (3 minutes)
A common language represents a unifying framework under which a state can function
successfully by encouraging mutual help and understanding within a population. When
people speak in different tongues, there is no unifying framework and the state as a
whole loses its ability to promote unity. Official English establishes a common core and
overall social stability through strong communication between different parties, with
regards to their mother tongue language.
Furthermore, if citizens dont understand the native of the nation, they will run into
problems that can hinder their health and safety where they might not be able to
communicate with law officials. For example, hospital staff might not know their patients
language, thus creating communication problems. Being incapable of telling officials
what your problem is can have devastating consequences. An official language will help
obstruct the barrier that prevents some citizens from staying healthy.
Not only will an official language improve public health, but also job prospects. A citizen
who studies in the local language will be one who is better integrated in the society,
respected by the natices and with more economic opportunities. It will allow them to
develop personal relations with people within their community, as 95% of Americans
speak English. You have to understand someone in order to have a relation with them.
Jobs require interaction between workers and the ability to discuss work. Immigrants
who dont know the native language, in this case English, are more often than not
forced into low-skilled jobs like agriculture because they dont know English. To
implement Official English will help build the incentive to learn English. Language
abilities for citizens increases employment probabilities.
At large, English as Americas official language is in the best interest of the public and
should henceforth be implemented by our government.

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