 Hold
Your Tongue:
Bilingualism and the Politics of English Only
by James Crawford
Addison-Wesley, 1992
324pp.; $14.95 (paperback)
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information
Is English under siege in America?
Should we force immigrants to assimilate by outlawing public use of their
languages – in effect, legalizing discrimination against minority tongues?
Or should we welcome diversity as a source of cultural vitality and economic
strength? Instead of "English Only," why not promote "English Plus" to
overcome language barriers?
Hold Your Tongue follows
the conflict over bilingualism from the halls of Congress to the streets
of Miami to the classrooms of Lowell, Massachusetts. It traces the untold
history of American responses to linguistic diversity and exposes the hidden
agendas of today's English Only movement. This high-stakes debate involves
nothing less than the future of American identity.
Reviews
"A very important
book that is more timely than ever."
– Los Angeles Times
"Richly informative.
... A valuable discussion of the United States' past and present difficulties
with intolerance and discrimination against immigrants."
– Harvard Educational Review
"Eye-opening."
– Chicago Tribune
"A mature, insightful,
highly readable work that is impressive in both its depth and scope. ...
Even as he laments the absence of a Carl Sagan of linguistics to inspire
a more lofty public debate, Crawford's ongoing work has made a major contribution
toward filling the void."
– Terrence Wiley, Language
in Society
"Convincingly argues
that multilingualism is a significant economic resource and that English
Only sends a xenophobic message to the rest of the world."
– Washington Post
"Jim Crawford's news-gathering
prowess and insider's knowledge shine throughout
Hold Your Tongue.
Rich in anecdotes, majestic in its sweep and scope.
... A ground-breaking study of
the English Only movement."
– Henry Cisneros, former Secretary
of Housing & Urban Development
Contents
Preface
1. Guardians of English
2. Polyglot Boarding-House
3. Strangers in Their Own Land
4. Tribal Politics
5. Old Ethnics and New
6. Hispanophobia
7. Language Rights and Wrongs
8. Problem
or Resource?
9. Babel in Reverse
Conclusion: Democracy and Language
Sources
Index
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