The State - News from Sept. 18, 1986

The San Jose City Council voted 8 to 1 to condemn Proposition 63, which would make English the state’s official language. “I find proposition 63 to be one that is based purely and simply on xenophobia,” Councilwoman Blanca Alavarado said before the vote. “It is a proposition of extreme chauvinism.” Among speakers at the meeting were community, union, business and church representatives. Only council member Lu Ryden and Dinesh Desai, head of a regional California English campaign, spoke for the initiative. “We are not a racist organization,” Desai said. “We just want to stick to one language to have unity.”