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Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't every Spanish-speaking nation in the Western Hemisphere, including Puerto Rico, AND MEXICO, have Spanish as its official language?

Why then should we not have English as our official language?

Why then should we not have English as our official language?

I said English wasn't the official language. I didn't say it should or shouldn't be. Besides, just because those countries have these laws doesn't mean we should, too.

In the long term, it doesn't really matter if English is official or not. Languages change and laws aren't going to stop that. Multiple languages will become more common in the future; almost everyone will speak more than one. Present day English, Spanish, Spanglish, AOL IM, Nadsat - no one knows what the dominant language in the US will be in the future.

I'm in favor of requiring new citizens to speak at least elementary English. But, the parents will never know as much English as their children learn in five years here, will continue to speak that language better than English, and there is no law that will change that.

The children also speak their parents' language because they are required to learn it. They probably also learn the basics of a third language in high school, and intermediate level if they go to college or university.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't every Spanish-speaking nation in the Western Hemisphere, including Puerto Rico, AND MEXICO, have Spanish as its official language?"

From about.com:
"Spanish is the primary language on the island and for a short time earlier this decade, it was the commonwealth's official language. While most Puerto Ricans speak some English, only about a quarter of the population are fully bilingual."

http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa031698.htm

Also, Puerto Rico is commonwealth of the United States. It is not a separate nation.