ABSTRACT
In an attempt to document the linguistic profile of the United States (U. S.), this chapter addresses the linguistic demographic diversity of the country based on current and historical U. S. Census data, while noting the strengths and limitations of such data. The policy disposition of the federal government and its constituent states toward language diversity has been somewhat mixed, ranging from active promotion to restriction. The sources of linguistic diversity in the form of heritage and community languages in the U. S. and its various territories are complex. The sources of language diversity in the U. S. result from several phenomena rooted in American history: immigration, both voluntary, as in the case of most European and recent immigrants, and involuntary, as in the case of enslaved Africans, expansion through conquest or annexation. The chapter concludes by revisiting guidelines for a national language policy that would recognize and build on the country's language diversity.
