U.S.ENGLISH Chairman Testifies In Salt Lake Court For Official English Initative

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S.ENGLISH Chairman/CEO Mauro E. Mujica testified in Utah's Third Judicial District Court in Salt Lake City today to clarify the intent of a recently voter approved initiative, which declared English as the official language of Utah.

"In Utah there are approximately 120 languages spoken other than English, and without Initiative A, Utah could be expected to provide services in all of those languages. Initiative A ensures the efficient and fair workings of an open government, and would not prevent anyone from speaking languages other than English."

"As an immigrant whose native language is Spanish, I embrace my culture and native tongue. I speak Spanish at home with my wife and children, and would encourage others to maintain their heritage. Initiative A is not about dividing, it is about uniting all Americans through our common language - English."

Last November, Utahns overwhelmingly voted to approve Initiative A with a vote of 67 percent in favor, and 33 percent against. U.S.ENGLISH worked closely with Utahns For Official English to help promote the goal of making English the official language of Utah.

While Initiative A would require government to conduct official business in English, there are common sense exceptions in the measure to ensure the Constitutional rights for all Utahns. Public health and safety information, law enforcement and courtroom translation under certain circumstances are among these provisions. In addition, Utah's Official English Law expressly permits the use of non-English languages when necessary to comply with constitutional and federal law, including the Native American Languages Act.

"Only by giving people a common language can we ensure that everyone has an equal chance to achieve their dreams in American society," said Mujica. "As an immigrant, I have had the first-hand opportunity to observe the many positive impacts and empowerment when immigrants learn English, the common language of the United States."

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.