Linguistic Heterogeneity and National Unity
“We have also seen that the very concepts which unify a nation can divide it, if they are perceived by a disenfranchised minority who have not enjoyed the fruits of economic development, who feel themselves to be apart from the dominant population, perhaps suppressed by it, and who see themselves excluded from any realistic opportunity for advancement. Many developing nations are confronted with such disenfranchised (and disenchanted) ethnocultural minorities, and there are numerous instances in which they genuinely threaten national unity --even assuming that such unity has been previously established…. Though it may seem paradoxical, the best strategy would seem to be to continue to support a full range of opportunities for participation in the social and economic opportunities of the dominant culture, including opportunities to learn English, without disenfranchising or threatening ethnocultural minorities and their languages.” (Larmouth 55)