Trend Shows Iowa Immigration Will Not Be Affected By Official English Legislation

WASHINGTON DC - After listening to concerns last week in Des Moines by anti-English activists that official English will deter immigration to Iowa and hinder diversity, U.S.ENGLISH Chairman/CEO Mauro E. Mujica pointed to a nationwide trend which proves just the opposite.

"If you look at the Census 2000 results (www.census.gov/) in states with official English you will see that such legislation has not deterred immigration to those states," said Mujica. "The anti-English movement is basically saying that if immigrants know they must learn English they will not come to America, or move to official English states. That is simply not true."

The following are some Census numbers that illustrate that official English does not hinder immigration.

State	Year Official English Became Effective	Total Population Growth	Total Hispanic Population Growth
Alabama	1990	10%	208%
Alaska	1998	14%	45%
Arkansas	1987	14%	337%
California	1986	14%	43%
Colorado	1988	31%	73%
Florida	1988	24%	70%
Georgia	1986 & 1996	26%	300%
Hawaii	1978	9%	8%
Illinois	1969	9%	69%
Indiana	1984	10%	117%
Kentucky	1984	10%	173%
Louisiana	1811	6%	16%
Massachusetts	1975	6%	49%
Mississippi	1987	11%	148%
Missouri	1998	9%	92%
Montana	1995	13%	49%
Nebraska	1920	8%	155%
New Hampshire	1995	11%	81%
North Carolina	1987	21%	394%
North Dakota	1987	0.5%	67%
South Carolina	1987	15%	211%
South Dakota	1985	9%	108%
Tennessee	1984	17%	278%
Utah	2000	30%	138%
Virginia	1981 & 1996	14%	106%
Wyoming	1986	9%	23%

"Clearly the statement that the symbolism of official English legislation hurts immigration is unfounded. These are scare tactics from the anti-English groups who do not believe it is necessary for immigrants to learn English and assimilate," said Mujica. "Immigration will never be hindered because of official English legislation, because it doesn't require anyone to stop speaking languages other than English. However, it encourages immigrants to learn English so they can fully integrate into our society - - and as an immigrant myself I can tell you knowing English is essential to the American dream, and for the future of this country."

U.S. English, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest non-partisan citizens' action group dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States. Founded in 1983 by the late Sen. S.I. Hayakawa of California, U.S. English, Inc. (www.usenglish.org) now has more than 1.8 million members.