It’s official: ¡Hablamos inglés! 🙄

“Speak English!”

I’ve lost count of the times I’ve heard some version of those words weaponized by xenophobic fools to belittle, exclude, or other someone for having the audacity to speak a different language, to practice the multiculturalism America was built on, to exist while not being white (or at least the right kind of white).

Those words have been hurled at me countless times, usually paired with a “Go back to your country!” in response to one of my columns advocating for inclusivity.

It doesn’t matter that I speak and write English. That is, after all, how they were able to read my so-called offensive prose. Or that “my country” is the very same “U-S-A!” they chant in phony patriotism. I was born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents (who are also American, BTW).

Logic? Facts? Those are irrelevant when superiority (and white supremacy) is the goal, when racist jabs are really just a demand for submission by those who paper over their insecurity by attacking others.

And it’s the same stale story with President Donald Trump — el jefe of jingoism.

English is already the de facto language of the nation, the official language in 34 states. But that didn’t stop Trump from staging the grand spectacle of designating English as the nation’s official language, a hollow, symbolic gesture he claimed would “promote unity” and “ensure consistency in government operations.”

In reality, this is exclusion dressed up as a necessity.

Leave it to Felon 47 to do something pointless purely for division’s sake. Cloaking ugliness in the language of unity is his brand of democracy.

My first reaction to his latest eugenic executive order? To commit to improving my Nuyorican Spanglish. (If anyone knows of a good local class, hit me up.) I’ve always made do. But it also made me one of the “no sabo kids,” a label applied to Latino natives who aren’t fluent-fluent.

So let’s add learning (or refining) a second language to the long list of acts of resistance. Duolingo, anyone?

The truth is that I have a complicated relationship with Spanish, just like many children whose parents pushed them to assimilate in order to shield their kids from the racism they were forced to endure.

And while I understand my parents’ reasons, it came at a cost — much like Trump’s latest order will.

My parents’ decision to prioritize English was born out of concern and care. Trump’s decision is one born out of ignorance and hatred that will only weaken America.

The order, which rescinds former President Bill Clinton’s edict “to improve access to federally conducted and federally assisted programs and activities for persons who, as a result of national origin, are limited in their English proficiency” means federal agencies are no longer required to provide language assistance to non-English speakers. And considering the purging of people with any decency or courage from these federal agencies, we know how that’s going to go.

To understand just how many people this could affect, consider that in 2019, the census reported that 67.8 million people in the United States, or around one in five, spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish is the second most-used language in the country, but you can bet a majority of those people speak English out in the world. In Philadelphia, a city where residents speak at least 180 languages, Latinos are the fastest growing demographic — with about 160,000 people who are native Spanish speakers — including the second largest community of stateside Puerto Ricans.

Speaking of my fellow Boricuas, what exactly is the plan for Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory full of American citizens who speak Spanish and English?

“It is in America’s best interest,” Trump’s order read. But the only thing it’s good for is further isolating the United States from the rest of the world. That and continuing Trump’s relentless attack on immigrants, whom he’s made his scapegoat for all kinds of economic and social ills. That includes gutting critical supports like English as a second language programs, health-care and educational resources — and even civic engagement programs that help immigrants adapt and contribute, and which offer a bridge to that fabled unity Trump’s supposedly so concerned about.

Let’s be very clear about what’s going on here: This order is about power and ownership, and about who not only gets to be in America but who gets to be called American. And to people like Trump, “real Americans” are white, monolingual men (and women, as long as they defer to those men).

It’s also about whose voices are heard and prioritized and valued. And demanding those voices all speak English is the wrong impulse, one that erases diversity and reinforces a narrow, exclusionary vision of what it means to be part of the United States.

The truth is, all of us make America what it is.

The beauty of this country is that everyone can belong, no matter where they come from or what language they speak. And that linguistic and cultural blend reflects the rich tapestry of experiences and backgrounds that form the ideal American mosaic.

Anything else is puras tonterías.

Don’t know what that is? Use el Google.