Accents, Other Diacritic Marks Could Soon Be Allowed On California Government Documents

Since 1986, when California voted to make English its official language, residents have not been able to include diacritic marks like accents and tildes in official documents — like drivers’ licenses and birth certificates. But now, the proposed Assembly Bill 77 would allow diacritics to be added onto new documents and for residents to request an update to their current ones, for a fee.

Efrén Pérez, who teaches political science and psychology at UCLA, told LAist's public affairs show AirTalk, which airs on 89.3 FM, that this proposal is indicative of the demographic sea change California has undergone in recent decades — once mostly white, California no longer has a singular majority demographic.

“One way to view it is that the absence of one's ability to signal their genuine name really comes down to who gets to define, in this case, what it means to be a Californian,” Pérez said.

When names in some languages, like Spanish or Vietnamese, are shoehorned into English, a lot can be lost in transcription.

“Your reaction is often to try to minimize how much you stick out,” Pérez said.

Pérez added that much of his family is very proud of their ethnic backgrounds, retaining the accents on their names. But he said growing up in L.A., he remembers very few of his classmates doing the same. He also remembers his wife’s grandfather, Carlos — whom everyone called Charlie.

Ana Celia Zentella is a professor emerita at UC San Diego and an anthro-political linguist — meaning, she looks at the power that language has in society and politics. She said that she was raised to fully understand the importance of accents — she remembers her mother playfully yanking on her sister’s hair to show her where to place the accent in Christopher Columbus’ real name, Cristóbal Colón.

“It's very personal for me and also, academically important for me, for my profession, but also politically an issue,” Zentella said.

While the use of the accents has historically been tied to classism, with the Royal Spanish Academy regulating it even back in 1720, according to Zentella, times are changing now. March 31, both Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Biden proclaimed César Chávez day — with both the accents intact.

Listen to the conversation