Latvian immigration news: Latvian Minister of Culture Janeta Jaunzeme-Grende stated: "We must insist on speaking Latvian in our daily lives. This is our country, and we are proud of it. We should speak Latvian in schools, kindergartens, and in the media. We must firmly protect our language, culture, and country."
State-run kindergartens and schools in Latvia currently teach both Latvian and Russian. However, Grende and other conservatives support limiting instruction in kindergartens and schools to Latvian only. Grende believes: "There is no better way to promote social integration than by making a country strong. If we are strong, then everyone will want to prove they belong to this beautiful country by speaking Latvian."
It is reported that Latvia has a population of approximately 2 million, with over 37% of the population speaking Russian. Latvia has only one official language, and Russian is considered a foreign language. In a referendum held in February 2012, the majority of Latvians rejected the recognition of Russian as a second official language.
