Picture this: a crowd in the JFK Building in Boston, MA. There are multiple floors with multiple rooms. Hidden within these rooms are various activities immigrants need to complete to finally achieve their citizenship. However, there are very few signs indicating where to go. The all-English signs that do exist have no images on them. These details highlight a much darker message: if you don’t know English, you are unwelcome in this country.

First-hand, I witnessed a clerk turn someone away, even though he had no idea what the immigrant’s confusion was. He just decided that the immigrant must not have an appointment. The person appeared lost, trying to figure out where to go. The clerk made a scene, emphasizing that he didn’t speak the immigrant’s language and didn’t know what he was saying. Meanwhile, there were no translators or multilingual brochures available. Again, the message is clear: if you don’t know English, you are unwelcome in this country.

This brings us to the heart of the situation: America, we need to let go of the idea that immigrants must learn English and instead celebrate their diversity, just as we celebrate diversity among those who are already citizens.

English is not the United States’ official language. Arguably, Spanish is just as prevalent as English, if not more so. Despite this glaring discrepancy, since 1906, naturalization has become increasingly reliant upon an immigrant learning English (although it is not a requirement).

I don’t know about my readers, but I have only learned a little bit of languages besides English. It is very challenging to be multilingual, and it does not come naturally to everyone. That’s why monikers like “if they want to live here, they should learn to speak English” are so problematic.

Since the English language is not a requirement for naturalization, USCIS, let’s support our legal immigrants more. A little effort can go a long way. Train staff to treat other languages with respect and politeness. Multilingual and image-rich signs and directions should be a part of every USCIS building. Multilingual brochures and FAQs would help immigrants navigate the confusing labyrinth, as they have likely waited long enough to get to this point.