Esmena per fer de l'anglès idioma oficial als EUA

Els Estats Units és l'únic país del món, que jo sàpiga, que no té llengua oficial. És a dir, que no té un idioma oficial legalment i/o constitucionalment establert per al conjunt de la Unió. Des de fa temps, alguns Estats i ajuntaments han aprovat disposicions per defensar l'anglès davant altres llengues a les zones amb més gran concentració d'immigrants, especialment hispanos. Ara, en el debat al Senat de la nova llei d'immigració, els legisladors han introduit el concepte de l'anglès com a idioma nacional o llengua d'unió.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate agreed on Thursday to make English the national language of the United States and moments later also adopted a milder alternative calling English the country's "unifying language." Which amendment ends up in the final version of an overhaul of U.S. immigration law will depend on negotiations with the U.S. House of Representatives. Neither would bar the use of Spanish or other languages in government services.

The Senate immigration plan couples tightened border security and enforcement and a guest-worker program with measures giving a path to citizenship to some of the 12 million illegal immigrants, most from Spanish-speaking nations.

"This is not just about preserving our culture and heritage, but also about bettering the odds for our nation's newest potential citizens," said Oklahoma Republican James Inhofe, who sponsored the national language amendment, which passed by a vote of 63-34.

The United States currently has no official language and some lawmakers said they feared Inhofe's amendment would lead to discrimination against people who are not proficient in English. They also said it could hurt efforts to promote public health and safety in other languages.

"Although the intent may not be there, I really believe this amendment is racist. I believe it is directed at people who speak Spanish," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said.

The issue is politically popular, and in a congressional election year lawmakers strongly supported both measures. Inhofe said opinion polls showed 84 percent of Americans supported making English the national language.