Romney, Santorum Argue Over English as Requirement for Puerto Rican Statehood
Rick Santorum’s contention that in order for Puerto Rico to become a state English must be its principal language drew criticism Thursday from the U.S. territory’s sole representative in Congress.
“Santorum’s view is narrow and a limiting view of what America is all about,” said Pedro Pierluisi, a Democrat, on CNN’s “Starting Point.” “English is the predominant language in the U.S. and will continue to be so, whether Puerto Rico becomes a state or not.”
Puerto Rico will vote in November on a referendum regarding possible statehood.
While campaigning Wednesday ahead of the island’s primary on Sunday, Santorum told a newspaper that for Puerto Rico to become “a state of the United States, English must be the principal language.”
There is currently no law declaring an official language of the United States, though several attempts have been made to give English that designation. Thirty-one states have passed laws mandating English as their official language. The Constitution also makes no mention of a language test for territories or properties that wish to become states.
Rick Santorum is clearly in the Tanton/Nativist camp that has created all of the poorly crafted and xenophobic ‘anti-immigrant’ laws lately.
SPLC on Tanton