The recent spike in border crossings and the expiration of the emergency policy Title 42 have once again sparked discussions about immigration. These talks often center on political, economic and humanitarian issues, but one topic tends to receive less attention: the linguistic effect.
The U.S. currently has the world's fourth-largest population of native Spanish speakers, with nearly 42 million people speaking the language at home. By 2060, it will probably have the second largest, behind only Mexico. This language shift stems from a projected 3 percent increase in the number of foreign-born people in the United States during the next few decades, which translates to roughly 21 million more people, most of whom will be Spanish speakers.
