English-only movement

The English-only movement, also known as the Official English movement, is a political movement that advocates for the exclusive use of the English language in official United States government communication through the establishment of English as the only official language in the United States. The United States has never had a legal policy proclaiming an official national language, although an executive order issued by president Donald Trump on March 1, 2025, declared English to be the official language of the United States. Historically, in various locations throughout the United States, there have been various moves to promote or require the use of English, such as in American Indian boarding schools.

Following American independence, other European languages continued to be spoken and taught in bilingual education, especially German and later also Spanish following the country's Southwest expansion. However, following a rise in nativism, support for the English-only movement began in 1907, under U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. Non-English languages increasingly began to be devalued as part of forced Anglophone assimilation and Americanization, fueled also by anti-German sentiment in the 1910s, and bilingual education had virtually been eliminated by the 1940s.

The English-only movement continues today. Studies prove high percentage in approval ratings. Republican candidates have supported this movement during elections. The English-only movement has also received criticism and rejection within societies and educational systems. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has stated that English-only laws are inconsistent with both the First Amendment right to communicate with or petition the government, as well as free speech and the right to equality, because they bar government employees from providing non-English language assistance and services.