"Should English be the official language of the United States? The America of the 1990's is an ethnically diverse society in which language has become an increasing focus of conflict. As new immigrants continue to pour in, a movement has begun to declare English our official language. In this revealing report from the front lines, James Crawford takes us inside the heated debate over bilingualism - and shows us the destructive and xenophobic sides of the English Only Movement." "He takes us to Arizona, where English-speaking residents pass an amendment prohibiting the use of Spanish in government offices to a Massachusetts city, where non-English speaking students are segregated in inferior classrooms; and to a California community where activists lobby to outlaw Chinese language signs from the streets. In Miami, in the Southwest and in many of our cities, bilingualism seems so prevalent that some worry we will no longer be able to communicate with each other." "But what is the relationship between our common tongue and our national identity? Using the debate over language as a lens, Hold Your Tongue explores our beliefs about free public education, our respect for native cultures, the limits of cultural pluralism and our fears of the "other." Crawford looks at bilingual education, the legalities of legislating conformity, as well as the day-to-day language conflicts that take place in supermarkets, in offices and on the streets. We meet the players on both sides of the issue and come to see their underlying motives." "The reality is that today immigrants are learning English faster than ever before, but they are also holding onto their own native languages. These varied tongues can be a valuable resource if we learn how to tap them. Crawford calls for a new perspective in America, one in which other languages might be conserved and programs for teaching English to immigrants made more effective. This controversial book about the politics of language is a passionate plea for the power of American diversity."--BOOK JACKET.