There Should Be No Requirement For A Person To Read And Speak English To Be An U.S. Citizen.

English Speaking Should not be a Requirement to Become U.S Citizen

Name

Affiliation

Date

English Speaking Should not be a Requirement to Become U.S Citizen

According to the Naturalization Act of 1906 of the United States of America, the immigrants who want the citizenship of the country should be able to read and write English. The act has been effective for more than a century and is a strict requirement for the immigrants trying to become legal citizens of the state. However, being able to read and write in the English language should not be a requirement to become a citizen of the United States of America. Being able to read and write in the English language may be a positive aspect for the people trying to get the citizenship of the United States of America, however, it should not be a requirement, as it robes the opportunity of progress from many people across the globe.

English is one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world, which is also considered an international language. There are still a number of countries in the world where English is not a common language. Most of the times the source of knowing this particular language is the educational system. So, the people who do not get formal education through schools also lose the opportunity of learning the language. So, it can be said that people belonging to the counties of the world which do not have English as their common or official language are not eligible to get the citizenship of the United States of America. It is actually wrong and should not be practised, because people should not be deprived of the opportunity of a better life and making progress, on the basis of their language.

The Naturalization Act of the United States of America requires the immigrants to be able to read and write in the English language, in order to become the citizens of the country, as English is the national and official language. Lybrand has mentioned in his article that the law has exempted the people above the age of fifty years from this condition, who have been living in the country for more than twenty years. There are a number of countries in the world which have some other language as their official language and the public is not knowledgeable regarding the English language, which gets them exempted from the possibility of getting the citizenship of the United States, which is not quite commendable (Lybrand, 2017).

My perspective on the matter is that the United States of America is one of the most developed countries of the world, which provides the opportunities of a better lifestyle and progress to the people of the world. It should not have such a requirement for being its citizen and let the people avail the opportunity of making progress. They can learn the language after becoming a part of society and it would be easier and effective for them as well. It is not their fault that English was not a common language in their country. They must have a number of other capabilities, which they can utilize to add to the productivity of the society. The different perspective on the matter is that the immigrants, who would not be able to speak, read and write in the English language would not be able to indulge in active communication with the rest of the society, over a short time of period. Such an issue can cause serious concerns for their survival and progress (Lleras-Muney, & Shertzer, 2015).

English is the most commonly used language in the world; still, it is unknown to a great majority of the world population. The United States of America should not have the condition of reading, writing and speaking the English language for the immigrants trying to get its legal citizenship. It should provide opportunities for progress to all the people and promote diversity. The immigrants or the new citizens can learn the English language with the passage of time, so it is not right to take away the opportunities of progress on this basis.

References

Lleras-Muney, A., & Shertzer, A. (2015). Did the Americanization movement succeed? An evaluation of the effect of English-only and compulsory schooling laws on immigrants. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 7(3), 258-90.

Lybrand, H. (2017). Fact Check: Do You Have to Speak English to Be Naturalized? The Daily Signal. Retrieved from: https://www.dailysignal.com/2017/08/03/fact-check-speak-english-naturalized/