english only on utah ballot

[Dennis Baron]

English-Only Measure Will Be On Fall Ballot
Friday, July 7, 2000

Mauro Mujica, chairman of U.S. English, announces Thursday in Salt Lake City
that supporters had collected enough signatures to put an English-only
measure on Utah's November ballot. (Douglas C. Pizac/The Associated Press)
BY GIA THRONDSEN
THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

   The state on Thursday officially put an English-only initiative on Utah's
November ballot, triggering heated debate about racism and divisiveness.
    The measure, financed by the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. English Inc.,
would require the state to do most of its business in English. The proposal
received 74,656 signatures.
    "They [supporters of the initiative] are saying that we don't value
other languages and other cultures," said Jason Satterfield, who joined
about 75 others at a rally on the Capitol steps to protest the initiative.
    Thursday, the state's Election Office certified which measures would be
placed on the ballot for November's election.
    ...[material about other ballot initiatives omitted] ...
    The "English as the Official Language of Utah" initiative brought
activists on both sides of the issue to the state Capitol. A news conference
held later in support of the measure illustrated the raw emotion the issue
has generated.
    "Our initiative has to do with one nation united under one language,"
said Mauro Mujica, chairman and CEO of U.S. English.
    Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson then took the stage uninvited to
criticize the initiative.
    "It takes more than forcing one language on people to have a community,"
he said to cheers.
    English-only opponents barraged Mujica with questions about the
initiative's effects on public assistance and medical care for
non-English-speaking Utahns, and they called it discriminatory.
    "We don't know [the initiative] by heart," said Mujica, dismissing the
question. "If you have a problem with it, don't vote for it."
    The meeting ended hastily with many protesters chanting, "English only
is baloney!"
    ...

__________________
Dennis Baron, Head                       debaron at uiuc.edu
Department of English                            217-333-2390
University of Illinois                          fax: 217-333-4321
608 S. Wright St.      http://www.english.uiuc.edu/baron
Urbana, IL 61801