In Iowa, overwhelmingly White and monolingual, 11 counties have declared English their official language, and a statewide law has been under consideration by the legislature. Against a backdrop of changing language and racial demographics, why do some Iowans perceive the need for "official English" legislation or English-only workplace rules? Why do others reject such measures? To what extent are the attitudes of Iowans reflective of the national debate on official English laws? To what extent are they grounded in local realities? In an exploratory survey of 745 undergraduate-student Iowans, attitudes toward the need for an official English law and the reasoning behind those opinions are examined. Challenges and opportunities for language educators are discussed, as well as suggestions for future research.
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