Prop 103 would needlessly make English the state's official language making it more difficult for non-English speakers to contribute to society and better themselves.
About Proposition 103
Preserve Diversity & Access to Basic Services
America prides itself on diversity. We are a strong nation because of our melting pot and because we respect each other's cultures and traditions. We wrote our Constitution so as to grant individuals rights and liberties – not to take them away.
Proposition 103 creates a second class language in Arizona. In practical terms, it will shut non-English speakers (including elderly adults who are citizens, refugees that have been brought here for political freedom from places like the Sudan and Bosnia) out of our society. We won't be able to provide services to people who do not speak English – thus making them second class citizens within our own state. No one living in Arizona deserves to be treated as a second class citizen.
While we believe that all Arizonans should learn English. And, virtually every immigrant wants to learn English and make sure their children know English. According to recent studies, by the third generation, only 17 percent of Latinos speak Spanish fluently. Immigrants know that the key to a better life in America is learning the English language. Let's make it easier – not harder – for immigrants to assimilate into American life.
Proposition 103 writes discrimination into Arizona's constitution. It makes a statement that other languages and cultures aren't welcome in Arizona. And, that's not only bad for business – it's bad for our state's image. We don't want to be known as intolerant, we want to be known as a place that accepts all kinds of people – regardless of the color of your skin or the language that you speak.