This paper investigates why the majority of United States Americans remain monolingual despite a national acknowledgement of the language crisis and the Department of Education’s mission to promote “student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness.” The history and current state of foreign language education in the U.S. demonstrates that foreign language education is not a part of the national identity of compulsory education standards. This paper argues that in order to live up to its compulsory educational values, the U.S. must establish foreign language education as a cultural standard and an educational right.