Asylum Seekers Face New Requirement to Find Their Own Interpreters
Tucson Sentinel (01/09/24) By Adriana Gonzalez-Chavez
Asylum seekers who don’t speak English are once again required to bring their own interpreters to interviews for U.S. immigration services, and some worry it will be a hindrance for those fleeing persecution in their home countries.
According to instructions from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to asylum applicants: “If you need an interpreter and do not bring one, or if your interpreter is not fluent in English and a language you speak, and you do not establish good cause, we may consider this a failure to appear for your interview and we may dismiss your asylum application or refer your asylum application to an immigration judge. We will determine good cause on a case-by-case-basis.”
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Connecticut State Board of Education Adopts “Bill of Rights” for Non-English Speakers
CT Mirror (01/03/24) By Jessika Harkey
Connecticut parents and students who don’t speak English will soon have access to more resources in their native language.
The Connecticut State Board of Education unanimously voted to adopt a “bill of rights” for non-English-speaking parents—a piece of legislation from the 2023 session that will ensure families understand they are entitled to enroll their child in public education, regardless of immigration status, and receive translation/interpreting services and important documents in their native language.
The law, which ultimately became part of the omnibus education legislation, House Bill 6762, garnered overwhelming support last year after advocates, many of whom were parents who only speak Spanish, recounted stories about their inability to communicate with school officials or receive updates about their children’s education.
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EU Young Translation Contest Unveils This Year’s 27 Winners
European Commission (02/08/24)
The European Commission announced the 27 young winners of its 17th EU Young Translation Contest (Juvenes Translatores) for secondary schools. This year’s topic was “daring to make a difference.”
Over 3,000 participants put their language skills to the test, choosing to translate a text between any two of the EU’s 24 official languages. While English has a prominent role, of the 552 language combinations available, students from 701 schools used 155 combinations, including Romanian into Swedish and Czech into Danish.
Students participating in the contest enjoyed the opportunity to discover the fascinating world of translation. As a student from a school in Austria put it: “Juvenes Translatores was not only a competition for me, but an opportunity to get to know translation…a realization that allowed me to recognize how different languages can be, but that at the core they connect us all.”
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Department of Justice and Hospital in Vancouver, Washington, Resolve Allegations of Violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act
U.S. Department of Justice (02/15/24)
PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, Washington, has resolved allegations it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to provide a sign language interpreter to a patient who is deaf. The settlement, with the U.S. Department of Justice, requires the medical facility to improve its services, staff training, and communications with the public. The patient will be paid $75,000 for the discrimination she suffered while hospitalized March 20-23, 2020.
Under the terms of the settlement, hospital staff will now assess a patient’s communications needs at the initial visit. They will also assess the needs of the patient’s companion. As part of their scheduling obligation, staff will ensure appropriate language services are available for effective communication.
“Ensuring compliance with the ADA is a top priority of our Civil Rights Unit—and that is critically important in the health care setting,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman. “When facing hospitalization and treatment, every patient deserves clear communication about their course of treatment. This settlement seeks to ensure effective communication for each patient.”
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In Nevada, Legislation to Boost State Language Access Services Has Slow Rollout
Nevada Current (01/26/24) By Michael Lyle
Lawmakers in Nevada have questioned why the governor’s Office of New Americans has taken so long to implement legislation passed last year to help state agencies update documents and services in languages other than English.
Lawmakers on the Joint Interim Standing Committee on Government Affairs heard updates on bills passed last year, including one expanding the duties of the Office of New Americans and another allocating $25 million for state agencies to set up “language access plans.”
Assembly Bill 266, sponsored by Las Vegas Assemblywoman Selena Torres, who also chairs the interim committee, expanded the duties of the Office of New Americans to include the hiring of a coordinator to work with counties on implementing individual language access plans and receive and investigate complaints related to language access.
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The Extinction of Irena Rey by Jennifer Croft – Book Review
The Washington Post (02/23/24) By Malcolm Forbes
Jennifer Croft’s The Extinction of Irena Rey is a darkly comic, fiercely inventive drama that explores the cult of celebrity and the art of translation (an art this critically acclaimed, award-winning translator has mastered) while spotlighting disparate individuals working together and falling apart.
In September 2017, eight translators from far and wide arrive at an odd-shaped house in a remote Polish village on the edge of a primeval forest. This is the group’s seventh “translation summit” at the home of internationally renowned author Irena Rey. Once again, the translators will render Rey’s latest book into each of their languages. But before they can settle down and start work, their host disappears.
The intriguing premise of Jennifer Croft’s debut novel will prompt readers to wonder what kind of book this is. A fiendish whodunit? A riddling thriller about why the lady vanishes? A slice of psychological horror in which the assembled characters get nastily bumped off, one after the other? In fact, The Extinction of Irena Rey is something quite different. It is also, to a large extent, something quite brilliant.
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