Language Politics & Op-ed Workshop
On March 1, 2025, US President Trump signed an executive order declaring English as the "one...official language" of the U.S. This move is in keeping with the English-only policies that have been passed in over 30 U.S. states. What does this mean for people who speak other languages in the U.S.? How will it affect all of us in our daily lives? Ideas about language and its use are almost always ideas about something else — like class, race, or nationality. Language is political, and access to it can be a question of life or death.
This workshop has three objectives:
To present foundational concepts for analyzing language politics generally
To apply these concepts to analyze the current language politics in the U.S. and their potential effects
To offer tips and techniques on writing effective op-ed articles and letters to legislators
While our focal example will be the attempt to create an official language in the U.S., the workshop is relevant for non-U.S. participants as well. The foundational concepts for analyzing language politics and the practical writing skills are generalizable, and a reading packet will be provided. Further, Canada will serve as an instructive contrasting example to the U.S., and suggestions will be made for how Canadians can help Americans understand the potential consequences of the present situation.
This workshop will take place on Tuesday April 8 starting at 11:00 AM and will be held in MEL’s air-conditioned classroom. There is no fee, and registration is not required.
Dr Catherine Rhodes is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico, and she is currently a Visiting Professor at the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán in Mérida under a Fulbright U.S. Scholar fellowship. She is a linguistic anthropologist who specializes in language politics, language diversity, and education. Currently, she is creating the first introductory book and curriculum for linguistic anthropology in Spanish (Living Language, 4th edition and El Lenguaje Vivo, 1st edition, with her co-author Laura Ahearn).
