Language Comprehension Is a Civil Right
Posted in May 25th, 2009 by Shannon SorensenAt least that was the idea under the US Department of Justice (DOJ) regulations implementing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which in the United States “prohibits recipients of Federal dollars from engaging in discriminatory acts based on national origin, which includes discrimination on the basis of language” (from Title VI Enforcement to Grow under Obama, Common Sense Advisory).
However, the law itself has never been properly mandated nor is it followed in most states. Why? Well, those that are discriminated against, in this case, don’t speak the language and therefore do not always have the proper resources or know the proper actions that they should take in order to protect their right to comprehension. Some classic examples where availability of language comprehension is lacking include the Department of Motor Vehicles, Hospitals, and Welfare offices among other organizations.
Until now, these organizations have “dodged the bullet” when it comes to Title VI compliance. But sources say that all this is about to change under the Obama Administration. In his inaugural address, President Obama made reference to linguistic diversity with the acknowledgment that the United States is “shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth.”
What does this mean for us as translators? As government agencies are forced to comply with Title VI regulations, there will be an increased demand for LSPs to translate documentation into various languages. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that translator employment will increase by 24% between 2006 and 2016. The languages in demand will vary from state to state so the possibilities abound.
What does this mean for non-English speakers? Being a native Californian, I have seen Title VI in action. The Department of Motor Vehicles and Social Security offices among others offer forms in English or Spanish. Other languages such as Chinese or Japanese exist as well but it depends on the location and demand. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 39% of the 3.7 million people living in California speak a foreign language, primarily Spanish. The main concern regarding these immigrants is that they do not have equal access to resources. By enforcing Title VI across the board, we are giving these immigrants an opportunity to improve their quality level of life and thus allowing them to become contributing members to society.
What does this mean for the economy? There is also huge economic potential for private organizations from this massive group of immigrants. Before I came to Brazil, I had a brief career as a promotional spokesperson. We were responsible for reaching the public through distributing pamphlets and talking about specific products. The marketing took place in Los Angeles. Can you guess what the minimum requirement was in order to work as a spokesperson? The ability to speak Spanish! We were able to reach a huge consumer body simply by printing marketing materials one side in English and the other in Spanish.
These bilingual pamphlets are almost a rule if you want to sell products in Los Angeles and most other U.S. cities. The Spanish speakers that we were able to talk to were not only appreciative that we were making an effort to talk to them but were very eager to buy the products because they were able to comprehend what was being marketed to them. California’s adoption of Spanish as a second official language is the exception. If the rest of the country, or world, adopted this philosophy, marketing potential would be unlimited.
As a “gringa” here in Brazil, I can tell you about the frustration involved in trying to get anything official done in a foreign language. Language comprehension is an integral part of trying to function normally in any given society. If the right to language comprehension is adopted across the U.S. and other countries, there is no limit to the social, health and economic advancements that we can achieve.
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