English

        Some people claim that the strict imposition of English as the official language in the public schools amounts to a subtle form of racism.   But if languages like English, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, or any other were strictly racial in nature, then children would naturally speak one of them without ever receiving training or otherwise being exposed to other people who speak it.  Of course, we know of no genetic predisposition among any people to any language in particular.  Consequently, the "racism" innuendo is both technically inappropriate, and itself,  a not so subtle form of ethnic factionism.  Indeed, factionism that would be at the expense of a cohesive national standard.  English is one of the cultural benchmarks of our shared identity as United States Americans, part of the stuff that gives substance to our nationality.  And that is something which is transcendent of special ethnic preferences in a multi-ethnic country.  It unites us as Americans and keeps us strong in a common medium of communication in spite of all the other differences that distinguish us as individuals and groups.  Some people would go so far as to suggest that demonstrated conversational skills in English should be a formal right of passage to obtain citizenship in this country.  Mexico has its nationality as well, which is tangibly defined and sustained by the virtual universal employment of Spanish within its boarders.  It's unlikely that Mexico would ever subvert that standard in the service of  some other.  By the same token there is no pragmatically good reason to believe that we as a nation and nationality should ever subvert ours, particularly in our public schools.