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Why does Spanish get preference?

On Tuesday, June 10, I went to the county courthouse in Rolling Meadows to obtain a duplicate copy of a birth certificate. Much to my surprise there were no request forms requesting printed in English. All were in Spanish.

When I asked about obtaining a form in English I was told that forms are no longer printed in English. A friend was with me since she also had business in another room, and she was told the same thing when trying to obtain information. If you speak English and do not speak Spanish you must go online and download the form from the Cook County website. You can go to the library in the courthouse; however, there is a $3-per-page fee.

This is a great inconvenience to English-speaking people. If you arrive at the courthouse and you have forgotten to bring your form, if you have accidentally completed the incorrect form, or if you have made an error on the form, you have to go home and reprint it and then return to the courthouse.

I do not mind that forms are printed in Spanish (I am a former ESL instructor so I am aware of the challenges faced by those who are learning English). Since English is recognized as "official" language in the United States, why can't we get forms printed in it? In my opinion, this is discrimination against non-Spanish speaking citizens of Cook County.

Carol Janes

Rolling Meadows