One Nation, Many Voices

“We're not going to put taxpayers to great expense to accommodate people who aren't trying to accommodate themselves in this country,” says one interviewee in One Nation, Many Voices, a look at Brown County, Wisconsin's (home to high-profile football town Green Bay) controversial adoption of English as the "official language" of county government. Not the first community to pass an "English only" resolution, the debate in Brown County nevertheless attracted national media, even though the new rule was widely seen as having no teeth, since language accommodation is mandated by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Interviewees include county supervisors, various members of the Latino, Hmong, and Oneida communities, two Russian immigrants, and university professors, while the program touches on pertinent background material, including the history of anti-immigrant feeling in the U.S., and the interrelationship between language, culture, and identity. Although some interviewees contend that nothing has changed in Green Bay as result of the language battle, others argue that more and more immigrants are becoming politically active. The comprehensive teacher's guide includes the text of the resolution, a FAQ about “Official English” laws, an article about immigration and nativism, brief surveys of the ethnic groups highlighted here, discussion questions, and a transcript. Highly recommended. Aud: J, H, C, P. (R. Reagan)