On August 2, 2010, MPR reported on this story. Access the article here:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/08/02/lino-lakes-english-folo/.
The Advocates' Response to English-Only Ordinance Passed in Lino Lakes, MN:
On Monday, Lino Lakes, a northern Twin Cities suburb, passed an English-only resolution that prohibits the local government from translating city documents into other languages. The resolution exempts certain government services such as health, public safety, and education from the English-only rule. The council member who proposed the resolution said he was only concerned about the potential cost of translation, although Lino Lakes has never before paid or budgeted for translation services. While the council maintained it was not about immigration, the resolution contains language very similar to a model English-only ordinance offered by ProEnglish, an organization founded by noted anti-immigrant organizer John Tanton (compare the two resolutions: Lino Lakes and ProEnglish). Informal polling by the Star Tribune suggests that some people have supported the measure as a way of discouraging immigrants from coming to Lino Lakes.1 MPR reports that ProEnglish confirmed supporting Lino Lakes in passing the ordinance (see article above).
English-only laws and policies create numerous problems depending on their scope. Some require the government to use English even when providing such basic services as emergency assistance and medical care. Laws such as these, which deny access to crucial government services on the basis of language and by extension national origin, violate the rights of immigrants. Without multilingual materials and assistance, foreign-born citizens have difficulty participating in the election process, while all immigrants with limited English proficiency face barriers to receiving high quality health care, accessing the justice system when they have legal problems, and fighting discrimination in employment, housing, and other areas.
More narrowly crafted resolutions can preserve access to key government services, but still create a climate of hostility towards recent immigrants who feel excluded from the community. By officially restricting government business to English, politicians send a message that immigrants are not welcome to participate in the life of the community, discouraging integration. The connection between the English-only movement and anti-immigrant activists like John Tanton only adds to this unwelcoming environment.
Not only do English-only laws potentially violate the human rights of immigrants and discourage integration, but they are also unnecessary. Most immigrants are already highly motivated to learn English, but achieving fluency is a process that takes many years. According to MALDEF and the Asian American Justice Center:
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“Today’s immigrants learn English as quickly as previous groups… 92% of [second generation] Hispanics speak English 'well' as do 96% of [second generation] Asians, though most also speak another language at home."
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Limited-English-proficient (LEP) adults want to learn English, but have few opportunities to do so… "57.4% of the ESL providers they surveyed had waiting lists of people seeking ESL services. Since fiscal year (FY) 2004, funding for adult education programs has decreased by more than $10 million.”2
Rather than pass laws that discriminate against immigrants and isolate them from community institutions and services, Lino Lakes and other municipalities should focus on overcoming the real barriers to learning English and to integration. ■
Learn more:
Language Rights Briefing Book:
www.migrationinformation.org/integration/language_portal/files/Language_Rights_Briefing_Book.pdf
Other Immigration Resources:
www.energyofanation.org
Sources:
1 Maria Elena Baca, “English-only proposal: Economics or politics?” Star Tribune, July 26, 2010, http://www.startribune.com/local/north/99198484.html?elr=KArksUUUycaEacyU.
2 Sam Jammal and Tuyet Duong, Language Rights Briefing Book, (MALDEF and the Asian American Justice Center, 2007). http://www.migrationinformation.org/integration/language_portal/files/Language_Rights_Briefing_Book.pdf.