A person who speak two languages is bilingual...

A person who only speaks one language is an American. Via the Washington Post:

After an emotional debate fraught with symbolism, the Senate yesterday voted to make English the "national language" of the United States, declaring that no one has a right to federal communications or services in a language other than English except for those already guaranteed by law.

The measure, approved 63 to 34, directs the government to "preserve and enhance" the role of English, without altering current laws that require some government documents and services be provided in other languages. Opponents, however, said it could negate executive orders, regulations, civil service guidances and other multilingual ordinances not officially sanctioned by acts of Congress.

That vote, considered a defeat for immigration-rights advocates, was followed last night by an important victory: By 58 to 35, the Senate killed an amendment that would have blocked eventual citizenship for future immigrants who arrive under a temporary work permit. Democrats and Republicans agreed that the amendment would have destroyed the fragile, bipartisan coalition backing the Senate bill.

Nine Democrats, I'll try to find the names, voted in favor of the James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.) bill. One Republican, Pete V. Domenici (N.M.), voted against it.

Ignoring, for the ten millionth time, the Democrat's inability to vote as a block on ANYTHING, this still pisses me off. For over 100 years, people have been immigrating to America. Not all of those immigrants spoke English when they arrived. A large portion of those immigrants never learned English. But their children did. Whether the parents speak Polish, Italian, Swedish, or Spanish, the one sure thing is that the second generation speaks English.

It's wrong to try to deny services to any person in America because they don't speak English and you won't make any effort to speak their language. You're just putting people at a greater disadvantage. You're putting the second generation, American born citizens at a great disadvantage too.

It shocks me that more people don't see all this action about immigration as what it is - an effort to placate the 'base' of the Republican party. It scares me that to do this, the GOP uses racism.

Immigration National Language Republicans James Inhofe