{"id":334594,"date":"2026-05-27T16:38:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T16:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/334594\/"},"modified":"2026-05-27T16:38:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T16:38:24","slug":"multilingualism-reshapes-california-leadership-and-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/334594\/","title":{"rendered":"Multilingualism reshapes California leadership and policy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently did something that, a few decades ago, would have ignited a firestorm of English-only rhetoric. Standing next to President Donald Trump, Rubio transitioned seamlessly into Spanish<\/a>, providing a direct translation for the commander in chief. The most remarkable part of the exchange? Nobody seemed to care.<\/p>\n

It was a quiet testament to how the nation\u2019s cultural and political identity has shifted.<\/p>\n

It was not always this way. In 1986, California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 63<\/a>, declaring English the official language of the state. It was a moment defined by anxiety over a changing demographic. But today, the markets on language have spoken, and they are not interested in the isolationism of the past.<\/p>\n

That same ballot measure today in California would not pass with such an overwhelming majority \u2014 and it might not even pass at all. If you ask voters if English should be the official language, the answer is yes<\/a>. But the intensity seems to be far less than it was in 1986.<\/p>\n

We see this shift in our neighborhoods. Some of the most sought-after public elementary schools in the state are now Spanish immersion programs<\/a>. Parents \u2014 regardless of their own heritage \u2014 are realizing what Europeans have known for centuries: Speaking multiple languages is not a political statement, it is a cognitive and economic superpower. In Europe, it is standard for young people to be fluent in two or three languages before they turn 20.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the percentage of white Americans who speak a language other than English remains stubbornly low, even as the global economy demands more.<\/p>\n

I recently finished a Master of Business Administration at UC Davis<\/a>. During those long hours of online and pandemic-era learning, it was impossible not to notice the changing face of California\u2019s future. A significant portion of my cohort was of Indian descent, some logging in from the United States, and others participating directly from India.<\/p>\n

These students were \u2014 in a word \u2014 incredible. Their focus and dedication were matched only by their ability to master complex financial and economic material in what was often their second, third or fourth language. Consider the intellectual heavy lifting required to earn a STEM-designated graduate degree. Now, imagine doing it while navigating the nuances of a language that is not your primary one.<\/p>\n

If we are going to be smart economically, we should admire these students and try to be like them. They are not disruptors; they are the fuel for California\u2019s economic engine<\/a>. Our state\u2019s prosperity is inextricably linked to the success of our engineers, scientists and mathematicians. As the talent pool for these roles increasingly reflects the Asian and Latino diasporas, it only follows that the superstar managers of tomorrow will often be those who share that background and linguistic flexibility.<\/p>\n

If we want to sell our products in non-English-speaking countries, we need to be able to speak the language of our customers. Those with language skills have an enormous advantage on the international stage.<\/p>\n

Rubio\u2019s Spanish-speaking moment was not a lapse in protocol; it was a preview of the future. Multilingualism is no longer a niche skill or a point of political contention. It is a baseline requirement for leadership in a globalized world. It also can lift people out of poverty<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If California wants to maintain its spot as the world\u2019s fifth-largest economy, we need to stop viewing language through the lens of the 1980s. We need to pour resources<\/a> into language instruction and prioritize it in our curriculums from kindergarten through grad school. The English-only era was built on the fear of being replaced; the multilingual era is built on the reality of being competitive. Step up or get left behind.<\/p>\n

Matt Rexroad is an attorney, political consultant and certified fraud examiner.<\/p>\n

Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently did something that, a few decades ago, would have ignited a firestorm…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":334595,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[121,123,122],"class_list":["post-334594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=334594"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334594\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/334595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=334594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=334594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=334594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}