MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – In South Florida, the language spoken often depends on where you are.
At an upholstery shop in Little Havana, most business is done in Spanish. The same goes for a nearby jewelry store.
But after President Donald Trump’s administration announced Friday that he will sign an executive order that will make English the official language of the United States, many in the area applauded the move.
“You go into these places, and sometimes they don’t even speak English! I don’t know how they get a job,” said Miami resident John Benitez.
Despite widespread belief to the contrary, the U.S. has never had an official language. The administration argues the order will allow “new Americans to adopt a national language that opens doors to greater opportunities.”
“English is kind of the universal language, spoken all over Europe. I don’t see what the problem would be. I mean, it’s the predominant language in this country,” said Luis James, a visitor from New York.
Critics, however, say the order is unnecessary and distracts from more pressing issues. Some social media commenters pointed to inflation as a bigger concern.
“I think he does a lot of stupid stuff,” said Josh Holbrook, who opposes the order. “I just think it’s politics. I don’t think there’s a need for it at all.”
The order does not appear to include mandates and local governments frequently translate key information into Spanish and Creole. That practice is unlikely to change.
“Miami is a diverse culture and there’s a lot of languages being spoken,” said South Florida resident Valentin Almeita. “If he wants to make that an order, go ahead, but I don’t think it would be enforced.”
