R: Unite Under a Common Language

Wednesday, October 5th, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. in the Berkeley Mendenhall Room

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The (Great) Tower of Babel, 1563, oil on wood panel, 114 x 155 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

The USA is a cultural amalgam; citizens unite under distinctive American traditions even while paying homage to their heritage. Amidst this diversity, language has a unique unifying power both within traditions and across cultures; speaking the language of a community allows for participation in this community, and a common language allows different communities to communicate with one another. 

Although English is predominantly spoken in the United States, the government does not mandate a national language. Should English be designated as the national language of America as a marker of our unity? Should schools, courts, and public institutions use only English? Or should multiple languages be recognized as consistent with our identity as a nation of immigrants?