Saturday, September 13 1997 Hispanics urged to learn English to succeed in America The Orlando Sentinel ORLANDO, Fla. - Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Rossello ended a national summit on Hispanic leadership in Orlando yesterday by urging Hispanics to learn English. Rossello said lack of English-language skills is the ``principal barrier'' between Hispanics and a seat at the American table. ``We shall remain isolated, on the margins of American progress, if we make the mistake of viewing mastery of English as an option rather than a necessity,'' said Rossello. He was addressing the Fifth Annual Hispanic American Leadership Summit at the Disney Yacht Club Resort. Puerto Rico is a nearly 100-year-old territory of the United States, with a population of 3.7 million mostly Spanish-speaking people. All Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. Rossello, a two-term governor, took a bold stance, since many Hispanics consider Spanish fluency an untouchable subject. The governor's speech and the summit's panel discussions were all in English, and that became an issue with some panelists who said the sessions should be in Spanish. But the move was characteristic of Rossello. This year, Rossello launched a program to incorporate more English-language instruction in the island's public schools. He said his aim is to make the next generation of Puerto Ricans bilingual citizens. The 53-year-old governor said mastering English is part of a two-pronged approach to increasing Hispanics' influence in the United States. The other strategy calls for Hispanics to convert ``so-called minority issues into mainstream issues.'' For instance, Rossello said he plans to put illegal drug trafficking at the top of the agenda of the Council of State Governments, a group based in Lexington, Ky., which represents state governments. Rossello will be the council's president in 1998. Puerto Rico is a midpoint for illegal drug trafficking between South America and the United States. ``That (drug trafficking) is a totally legitimate national concern. So therein lies the synergy,'' Rossello said. The campaign Web site for Gov. Rossello is in Spanish. Visit the Puerto Rican governor's office.