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LetMyPeopleVote

(159,200 posts)
Sun Mar 2, 2025, 06:14 PM Sunday

Puerto Ricans worry over new Trump order designating English as U.S. official language

The president's upcoming executive order reignites a debate over what changes could take place in the Spanish-speaking U.S. territory, especially if Puerto Rico becomes a state.
https://bsky.app/profile/nabbp.bsky.social/post/3ljd44cones2p

Right. Because America does not have an official language. Just more hurtful, performance art.

Puerto Ricans worry over new Trump order designating English as U.S. official language



https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/puerto-rico-worries-trump-english-official-language-rcna194249

While the White House official didn't specifically comment on how the change would impact Puerto Rico, the order would give agencies the flexibility to decide how and when to offer services in languages other than English. It also states that the intention behind the new designation is “unifying the American people."

Though Spanish and English are the official languages in Puerto Rico, Spanish remains the main language of the island's government and its public affairs. In schools, the established language of instruction is Spanish, but English is a mandatory academic course under the local education system. It's estimated that only a quarter of Puerto Ricans living on the island are fluent in English.

Rep. Pablo José Hernández, Puerto Rico's nonvoting member of Congress, said in a statement that the order "reflects a vision of American identity that conflicts with our Puerto Rican identity."

“There will be no statehood without assimilation, and Puerto Ricans will never surrender our identity. For those of us who seek a union with the U.S. without assimilation,” Hernández said, “there is only one alternative: maintaining and strengthening the current Commonwealth relationship.”.....

In an X post reacting to Trump’s upcoming order, the organization wrote, "As we have said many times, any legislation around #PuertoRico's status must make crystal clear whether a statehood scenario will continue to allow -OR NOT- Puerto Ricans to fully operate our govt, schools, courts -our way of life- in Spanish."


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