Cliff Stearns: “I say to the gentleman from California, out of many, one. On this side we believe that one means language, too, which is…”

“I say to the gentleman from California, out of many, one. On this side we believe that one means language, too, which is English. I would like to quote for him and others the late Senator Hayakawa, who said, ``America is an open society, more open than any other in the world. People of every race, of every color, of every culture are welcomed here to create a new life for themselves and their families. And what do these people who enter into the American mainstream have in common? English, our shared common language.'' For that reason, I rise in strong support of the rule. This Nation of course is a melting pot, finding its strength in our citizens' unique diversity. However, we all share a common unifying bond, our English language. Mastering a nation's original native language is critical to succeeding in a society because it provides one with the opportunity to excel. This is not to say that the study of foreign languages should be discouraged. Quite the contrary, being fluent in a second or third language opens, more often than not, doors to new opportunities and experiences. But if the English language is not the top priority, the doors in our own Nation will remain closed to some, and they will be left behind. When one discourages another from learning English, they ensure that the non-English-speaking individual is denied their chance at attaining the great American dream.”