Mar 4, 2017 2 min read

My family arrived in Philadelphia in 1736. My great-grandfather was a World War I veteran and chose to speak Pennsylvania Dutch, not English, for his entire life. My grandfather was part of the first generation to speak English as a first language. For almost 200 years, my family and most of our neighbors chose not to speak English.

English as a first language existed only in the English colonies and not in the United States as a whole. This country was built by many groups and different cultures speaking many languages. There never has been a single American language and there never should be. The plethora of languages is part of what makes America great. Our language tells us who we are and where we came from. These are not foreign languages, but are non-English American languages. In some cases, the plethora of languages within our country has even helped with our defense. For example, the use of Navajo as an unbreakable code in World War II.

We should never be afraid or embarrassed to speak a language other than English. Those who harass or bully someone for speaking a language that is not English should be embarrassed, because they allow their fear of others to justify their discrimination. So whether you speak Cherokee, Creole, Hawaiian, Navajo, Pennsylvania Dutch, Swahili, Yiddish, Yupik or any other language, speak it proudly and often.

No one has ever told my family to speak English or go home and I will not do it to others. Nor will I sit idly by while somebody else does.

Kim J. Atland

Spring Grove