The article analyzes measures to institutionalize the hegemonic position of English in the United States. The desire of some states to give English an official status is explained by demographic and socio-economic problems: the growing share of African-American and Hispanic population, as well as economic problems of immigrant communities. General American, a standardized version of English, is proposed as a tool to improve the living standards of nonEnglish speakers and create a common American identity, which in the future should take over the functions of the national language.