The intent was to promote greater acceptance of language diversity in the United States in order to encourage a broader American cultural development and more international perspectives.
This would be achieved by encouraging education in English as well as secondary languages across the entire population, for immigrants and natives alike.
[4] The term "English Plus" originated in a 1985 letter to then-Secretary of Education William Bennett from the Spanish American League Against Discrimination.
[5] We fear that Secretary Bennett has lost sight of the fact that English is a key to equal educational opportunity, necessary but not sufficient.
Tell Bennett to enforce bilingual education and civil rights laws you enacted, or tell the President he cannot do his job.