THE United States is a nation of many languages united under one common tongue, according to a new report by the US English Foundation. This is the nation's oldest and largest non-partisan citizens' action group. It is dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the US.
The report, called Many Languages, One America, found that 322 languages are spoken in the US. It also found that the number of languages spoken ranges from 207 in California to 59 in Wyoming (small population), and that Los Angeles County leads the nation, with 135 languages spoken at home.
The report details the languages spoken in each of the 50 states, 3,141 counties and more than 200 metropolitan areas. It used data gathered from the 2000 Census to provide an extensive look at the breakdown of every language in the US.
The languages go from Abnaki to Zuni. Of those 322 languages, 93 had more than 10,000 speakers. And 38 had more than 100,000 speakers. English was the most common language spoken in every state. But, four languages (English, Spanish, Navaho spoken by Navaho Indians, and Yupik spoken along the shores of the Gulf of Alaska) were most common in at least one US county. In all, 192 languages placed among the 10 most common in at least one county. And 60 languages placed in the 10 most common in at least one state. Complete statistics for the nation, as well as states, counties and metropolitan areas can be found online at http://www.usefoundation.org/foundation/research/lia/.
"The fact that we have maintained our ability to communicate is a testament to the dedication of the American people to remember what unites instead of what divides," said Mauro E. Mujica, the Foundation's chairman. "Many Languages, One America indicates that we must continue to overcome our differences to become one people behind one flag and work to uphold a multi-accented common language, English. Our ability to share ideas and work together in the future will demonstrate the degree of that triumph," Mujica said.
US English is supporting the English Unity Act of 2005. That bill for the US Congress would make English the official language of the US government.
"With 322 languages spoken in this nation of immigrants, it is time to recognize the bonds that unite us as Americans. Over the last 200 years, our nation has grown, our technology has improved, and our people have become diverse. But the one constant has been the unifying factor of the English language," Mujica said.
"More than 92 percent of the world's countries have an official language policy to help communication and assimilation. But the US sticks to a costly and divisive system of providing services in many languages. That includes Social Security information in 16 languages and election ballots in 28 languages. We have taken away some of the incentive for immigrants to learn English, and for English language learning assistance."
