At The Multilingual Project (TMP), we believe multilingualism isn’t just about speaking multiple languages—it’s about going beyond words and into worlds.
On March 1st, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States, revoking Executive Order 13166, which had previously required federal agencies and contractors to improve access to services for individuals with limited English proficiency—a measure aimed at filling existing multilingual equity gaps and overcoming barriers to communication.
The move comes as a growing majority of Americans across racial and party lines concur with the Administration’s position. In an August 2024 survey from the Pew Research Center, 51% of U.S. adults said it’s extremely or very important to make English the country’s official language.
The Growing Scrutiny of Multilingualism
This data paints a sobering picture of the growing devaluation of multilingualism in the United States. According to the survey:
- 73% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said making English the official language is extremely or very important.
- 32% of Democrats and Democratic leaning adults said the same.
57% of White adults, 47% of Asian adults, 45% of Black adults, and 36% of Hispanic adults agree.
Although Pew made it clear that it did not directly ask Americans about Trump’s March 1st order, these data provide a sense of public opinion on the topic. Overall, multilingualism remains under pressure— across political, racial, and cultural lines. The near-even split between Americans who support English as the official language and those who do not highlights just how divided the nation is on the topic— not only politically or racially but also culturally.
Why Multilingual Education Matters
At TMP, we believe that multilingualism is one of the most powerful tools we have to prepare students for the future.
Multilingual education strengthens cognitive flexibility, improves critical thinking ability, and expands creativity. It also builds critical durable skills that employers demand, like communication, leadership, collaboration, and fortitude, among others.
Yet, today, the growing scrutiny facing multilingualism in the United States puts these opportunities at risk while simultaneously pushing them to the wayside and away from the public spotlight.
The more language access is restricted—or devalued—the fewer multilingual students are able to develop the competencies needed for upward economic mobility.
The Path Forward
The stakes aren’t just cultural— they’re educational, economic, and systemic. The data surrounding public sentiment on the devaluation of multilingualism and its correlating policy changes make one thing clear: our education system must rise to meet it.
At TMP, we’re advocating for equitable outcomes in multilingual K-14 and higher education, a holistic approach to second and heritage language pedagogy, and the seamless connection of multilingual postsecondary and workforce systems.
The Multilingual Project is a nonpartisan, multimedia, research, advocacy, and translation company on a mission to reshape and reimagine a more robust and responsive multilingual education system in Colorado and beyond.