For many years one of the main complaints of organizations and political leaders who advocate for greater equity in the state of New York has been the lack of equal access for immigrants and vulnerable communities to available aid programs, due to that the information of the initiatives is not always shared in the multiple languages that the communities originally speak.
And in a fact described as a triumph that leads New York to get closer to what would be the plan for the largest language access expansion in 10 years, the State Senate passed the Language Access Expansion Act that seeks to increase the scope of services available to New Yorkers across the state, with investment in more translation programs and inclusion of more languages.
With the Senate’s move, the State Assembly now needs to follow suit for the law to be included in the final approval of the state budget which must be done before next April 1.
The new regulation would not only require the state government and municipalities in New York, like the Big Apple, to double from six to 10 the languages in which they share their information on vital programs, but also that agencies such as the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Education, among others, would provide greater translation services.
Now it’s your turn! to the Assembly!
Community organizations and activists called on the State Assembly to allow the advancement of the initiative, promoted by Senator Timothy Kennedy and Assemblywoman Latoya Joyner .
“The Senate’s passage of the Language Access Expansion Act brings us one step closer to ensuring that our state government reflects New York’s growing and incredible diversity,” said Murad Awawdeh , Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), who urged the Assembly to move forward.
“This landmark legislation not only doubles the number of languages available, but also ensures that New Yorkers who seek state services will receive them in the languages they understand and prefer,” added Awawdeh.
The activist assured that giving the green light to the legislation will guarantee that the state government reflects the importance that diversity gives there is in New York.
Meanwhile, Robert Agyemang, director of the organization ‘African Communities Together’, described the bill as a necessary key to guarantee the well-being of communities that do not speak English as first language.
“ Our state is growing in newcomer populations; we need to make sure they have access to all the tools and resources for success, especially our Asian, African and indigenous Spanish-speaking communities,” said the New York immigrant community advocate. “We will continue to partner with all who are willing to advance and support the language needs of our communities.”
COVID-12 accentuated inequalities
Senator Kennedy stressed that the impact of the law that increases access to language services will help combat the inequities that prevail in many corners of New York.
“The last two years have magnified the many disparities that exist throughout the state, with those in the immigrant, refugee and non-native English-speaking communities feeling differently disproportionate weight of the COVID-19 pandemic”, assured the political leader. “The New York Senate has demonstrated a clear commitment to expanding language access here in New York, both by passing this legislation and including it in the Senate Single House Budget. We must continue to prioritize policies that create a fairer and more inclusive New York.”
Assemblywoman Joyner urged her Assembly colleagues to pass the law before the end of the current legislative session, which is due in less than two weeks.
“It is time for New York to fully embrace its diversity and ensure that no family is excluded from access to vital public services because English is not their primary language,” said the political leader.