People outside the United States (but not in Mexico) may not know that one of the hottest topics on American talk shows these days is immigration reform. Along with the questions of citizenship and social benefits for illegal immigrants comes border security, a huge concern in post-9/11 America. And because the border in question is with Mexico, the Spanish language has become a political hot potato.

Among other things, the U.S. Senate voted to build a 370-mile wall between the two countries, vigilantes called the Minutemen have taken up positions on the border to help out the U.S. Border Patrol, and the President has proposed posting armed National Guard troops on the Border to supplement the Border Patrol (but not the unofficial Minutemen).

Meanwhile some Americans staunchly defend the National Anthem against the inroads made by the Spanish-language “Nuestro Himno,” insisting that only the archaic, hard-to-sing 18th-century “Star-Spangled Banner” properly honors the republic for which it stands. On May Day immigrants and sympathizers took to the streets in peaceful protest, with Spanish-language newspaper headlines echoing the themes of the film “A Day Without a Mexican.”

From the anti-immigrant, pro-English, close-down-the-borders vitriol spewing southward, outsiders looking in have asked what’s going on here. Let’s jump to the heart of the matter — language, appearance, and cultural identity. Addressing the nation in mid-May, el Presidente George Bush said: “I think people who want to be citizens of this country ought to learn English.” If President Chirac had said something similar about French in France, that would be considered natural. But to date the United States has had no official language. The courts have overturned past attempts to make English the only language of government in the U.S.

That may change with a new law and a newly constituted Supreme Court. On 18 May the U.S. Senate voted to designate English as the “national language.” Legislators from the majority Republican Party claim that the law would simply affirm the pre-eminence of English without overturning laws or regulations on bilingualism. Remember: 2006 is a mid-term election year in the States. Some politicians will see language and immigration as ways to attract xenophobic voters or those wanting to defend the Homeland against terrorists (our Psych 101 professor might characterize this as an example of displaced aggression, since Mexicans are easier and closer targets than Osama Bin Laden, Mahmoud Ahmadi Nejad, and Kim Jong Il). With all likelihood the topic will become less important after the November elections unless Republican popularity among Latino voters continues to slide.

But we think that no matter what happens, U.S. businesses are immune to these sentiments (but not to the labor laws, identity checks, and other regulations meant to prevent hiring illegal residents). American companies will use language whenever it can bring them more revenue and profits. We expect the United States will continue to be the biggest market for translation services, both domestically and internationally.