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<header class="entry-header"><h1 class="entry-title">White House meets with group urging English as official US language</h1>
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<div class="gmail-rj-gallery"><div class="gmail-xslide" tabindex="1"><div class="gmail-xplayer-cont" style="padding-bottom:66.67%"><div class="gmail-xplayer"><div class="gmail-xscreen gmail-auto_full_screen"><div class="gmail-rj-xslide gmail-xmedias gmail-xs-pgs-dot" style="left: 0%;"><div class="gmail-media-wrap gmail-xmedia gmail-type-image gmail-xs-current" style="width:100%;padding-right:0px"><img class="gmail-media-content gmail-media-img gmail-jetpack-lazy-image--handled" alt="President Donald Trump speaks at the Latino Coalition Legislative Summit, Wednesday, March 7, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)" src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/10217818_web1_trump_4221185.jpg"><div class="gmail-media-caption gmail-on-hover">President
Donald Trump speaks at the Latino Coalition Legislative Summit,
Wednesday, March 7, 2018, in Washington. (Evan Vucci/AP)</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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By Debra J. Saunders Review-Journal
White House Correspondent </div>
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March 7, 2018 - 2:05 pm </div>
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<div class="gmail-rj-field-updated-time">Updated March 7, 2018 - 7:39 pm</div>
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<p><strong>WASHINGTON —</strong> Advocates to make English the official
U.S. language met with White House staffers recently, before President
Donald Trump’s re-election campaign posted an online survey that asked
supporters if they back the idea.</p>
<p>“We’ll take Trump’s question seriously when he learns to speak
English,” responded Latino Victory Deputy Communications Director Monica
Garcia.</p>
<p>Stephen Guschov, the executive director of ProEnglish, told the
Review-Journal that he and ProEnglish Director of Government Relations
Dan Carter have met with staffers who work under Trump and Vice
President Mike Pence.</p>
<p>An official from Pence’s office confirmed that a staffer met with
ProEnglish “for an informational meeting to hear out their policy
priorities,” while an official from Trump’s press office confirmed that
“a mid-level staffer from domestic policy met with (Guschov) as a
courtesy measure.”</p>
<p>During a GOP primary debate, Trump famously chided former Florida
Gov. Jeb Bush for speaking a foreign language on stage. “This is a
country where we speak English, not Spanish.”</p>
<p>As a congressman, Pence was a repeat co-sponsor of legislation to
make English the federal government’s official language. Proponents
frame the English Language Unity Act as a common-sense law that would
codify English as the official language, but still allow the federal
government to use other languages in areas such as international
relations, trade, tourism, public safety, health and to protect the
rights of victims and criminal defendants.</p>
<p>Indiana, where Pence was governor when he joined the Trump ticket in
2016, is one of 31 states for which English is the official language.</p>
<p>Guschov told the Review-Journal his group is “particularly urging”
aides to advise Trump to repeal an executive order signed by President
Bill Clinton in 2000 that directed federal agencies to offer translation
services for residents with limited English proficiency.</p>
<p>Guschov said the group wants to change the rules only for U.S.
government operations – not in the home or private businesses. “I
encourage people to learn other languages,” he said.</p>
<p>ProEnglish also wants Trump to sign the English Language Unity Act —
Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., and Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, have introduced
bills — if a measure makes it to the president’s desk.</p><div class="gmail-rj-ins-obj"><div class="gmail-rj-widget-num-2 gmail-rj-widget-last gmail-rj-widget-even gmail-ptmp1-r2 gmail-ptmp2-r2 gmail-ptmpsponsored-r2 gmail-ptmp4-r2 gmail-rj-widget"> <div class="gmail-textwidget"><div class="gmail-ad-in-article-mid">
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<p>In addition, the group supports the Reforming American Immigration
for Strong Employment (or RAISE) Act, promoted by Trump aide Stephen
Miller, because it favors would-be immigrants who are fluent in English.</p>
<p>Guschov would not reveal the names of aides with whom he met, other
than to stipulate, “It was not Stephen Miller.” Guschov added that he
and Carter talked to an aide whom they believed passed on their material
to Miller.</p>
<p>Trump’s re-election campaign has posted a 32-question online survey
that, among other things, asks if supporters think English should be
recognized as the official language of the United States.</p>
<p>“This is disgusting,” Democratic strategist and CNN contributor Maria
Cardona reacted, “but not surprising from the most anti-immigrant,
bigoted, and racist president who listens to his white nationalist
advisers. This questionnaire is clearly political crack for his base
whom he must maintain the support of since he is losing support left and
right and from independents.”</p>
<p>Cardona said the campaign survey’s English language question, and a
question asking supporters if they are concerned about the spread of
Sharia law, are “designed to distract and remind his base that Trump
still believes in the divisive issues he talked about during the
campaign.”</p>
<p>Hector Barajas, a Republican political consultant whose parents
immigrated from Mexico, thinks that the ProEnglish approach makes sense.
When he was young and his mother saw that he had been enrolled in
bilingual education, she told the school she wanted her son in English
language classes. She said she’d teach her kids Spanish; schools should
teach them English.</p>
<p>If Trump pushes the idea, will it hurt him with Latino voters? “I
think the problem has been with his whole discussion on immigration,”
said Barajas. “The damage is done. This adds more fuel to the fire.”</p><div class="gmail-rj-ins-obj"><div class="gmail-rj-widget-num-1 gmail-rj-widget-first gmail-rj-widget-odd gmail-hide-title gmail-ptmp1-r3 gmail-ptmp2-r1 gmail-ptmp4-r3 gmail-rj-widget"> <div class="gmail-textwidget"><div class="gmail-ad-in-article-left">
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<p>Guschov rejected critics who frame ProEnglish as anti-immigrant.
Immigrants fare better in the U.S., he argued, when they speak English.
When he lived in Peru, Guschov added, he spoke Spanish.</p>
<p>Contact Debra J. Saunders at <a href="mailto:dsaunders@reviewjournal.com" target="_blank"></a><a href="mailto:dsaunders@reviewjournal.com" target="_blank">dsaunders@reviewjournal.com</a> or 202-662-7391. Follow <a href="http://www.twitter.com/DebraJSaunders" target="_blank">@DebraJSaunders</a> on Twitter</p>
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<p><strong>Trump campaign survey</strong></p>
<p>Questions 27 and 31 from the Trump campaign’s survey</p>
<p><strong>27. Are you concerned by the potential spread of Sharia Law?</strong></p>
<p>Yes</p>
<p>No</p>
<p>No opinion</p>
<p>Other, please specify:</p>
<p><strong>31. English is currently not recognized as the official language of the United States. Do you think it should be?</strong></p>
<p>Yes</p>
<p>No</p>
<p>No opinion</p>
<p>Other, please specify:</p>
<p>-From Trump Pence Make America Great Again! survey</p></div></div>
<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div>
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