By C.R.Luismël
Originally posted on June 11, 2018, now rescued for my blog.
The Spanish language was first spoken in what is now the United States back in 1565, in St. Augustine, Florida.
Likewise, there are entire states and countless cities that still carry Spanish names: think of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and cities like San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Laredo, Amarillo…
So don’t come telling me you can’t speak Spanish in the land of freedom.
(Read that with a playful Iberian accent for full effect.)
Let’s also remember the French were here too, naming places like New Orleans, Louisiana, Baton Rouge, Detroit, Charlotte, Des Moines, among others. And even the Dutch founded New Amsterdam, which would later become New York.
In fact, to this day, the U.S. Constitution has never declared an official language. English is simply the de facto language because of historical majority use. This is why individual states can establish their own official languages or multilingual policies.
In South Florida, for example, you’ll find official notices and documents in three languages: English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole.
The United States doesn’t have an official language — and that still hasn’t changed.
Will it ever? Well, time will tell.
— LMCR
2018.06.11
