“It would have only taken 527 different votes.” Analyzing Justifications for English as Official Language

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 3:45 pm - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Language Ideologies, Power, Resistance in Educational Spaces

Abstract

This study critically explores how U.S. policymakers justify restrictive language policies, using the English Unity Act as a case study. Combining Critical Discourse Analysis with the Economies of Worth framework, the study examines how two senators frame official-English policies. Although their arguments ostensibly promote national unity and institutional efficiency, they simultaneously reinforce structural inequalities and exclusionary ideologies. The analysis reveals that language policies are not merely practical governance tools but also symbolic mechanisms shaping national identity, civic belonging, and the boundaries of citizenship. By interrogating public discourse around language policy, this study contributes to broader conversations on language ideologies, democratic values, and the politics of inclusion and exclusion in the US, especially regarding the linguistic racialization of non-English speakers.

Author

• Kate Arnold