Do you give up your native language?

No, you do not give up your native language when you become a U.S. citizen. The Oath of Allegiance and the broader naturalization process require allegiance to the United States and the ability to read, write, speak, and understand basic English (under section 312 of the Immigration and Nationality Act), but they do not require the new citizen to abandon any other language.

Federal civil rights protections (such as the prohibition on national-origin discrimination in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964) and the First Amendment's free-speech protections apply to all residents and citizens, and there is no law prohibiting the use of any language in private life, in business, in religious worship, or in the press. Many U.S. cities and states publish official documents in multiple languages, and federal agencies are required by Executive Order 13166 (issued in 2000) to provide meaningful access to limited-English-proficient persons.

The 2020 Census found that more than 67 million U.S. residents speak a language other than English at home, with Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic, French, and Korean among the most common. New citizens are encouraged to maintain their heritage languages, which supports family ties, cultural identity, and economic opportunities (bilingual workers are in demand in many fields).

The naturalization process simply requires English proficiency adequate for basic civic participation, not the abandonment of other languages. The 50/20, 55/15, and 65/20 rules even allow older long-term lawful permanent residents to take the civics test in their native language with an interpreter.