BILIGUALISM AND LINGUISTIC IDEOLOGY IN THE UNITED STATES

Abstract

This article discusses issues of bilingualism and linguistic human rights in the USA as a multiethnic country. It provides an overview of the legal framework the U.S. and the UN in the area of linguistic human rights. Linguistic ideology in a multiethnic society is treated as a manifestation of the elites’ struggle for power. The analysis of the history and current state of linguistic ideology in the United States shows that bilingualism does not threaten national unity, but rather stimulates development of the society.