[lg policy] Question: does anyone know of research on language requirements for US statehood?

[Harold Schiffman]

All,

In the recent kerfuffle over whether Puerto Rico has to accept English
as its official language
if it is to become a state, various opinions and statements have been
made.  One is that although
official status for English cannot be required, in practice
territories that aspired to statehood that
did not make English the primary language were cajoled into doing so.
(Maybe 'cajole' is not
the right word, but let's find the right verb.)  I know that when
California became a state, the procedure
was supposedly rushed because some elements felt that California might
opt to become an independent
republic, as Texas did for a time.  Because of this rush, California
was not required to make options for
Native American tribes such as establishing reservations; but it did
allow some kind of status for
Spanish in its first constitution, provisions that were abrogated in a
later constitution.

I know of no research on this issue--I have never looked at records of
what territories have done
on this, and I know of no sources on this.  Does anyone else have any
sources of facts on this,
or know of where to look?

Thanks,

H. Schiffman

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