Among the Charlotte inequities exposed by COVID-19 is a foundational block of culture — access to language. The 77,000 Charlotte residents whose primary language is not English struggled to get basic information about staying safe during a pandemic.
One of the key Charlotteans behind a new policy to make information about basic services more accessible says the next two years are key to improving communication with these residents.
“Language is so much a part of how we keep culture,” said Emily Yaffe, an immigrant integration specialist with Charlotte’s Office of Equity, Mobility and Immigration Integration. “It’s like pride in art — there (are) terms and terminology that really can only be expressed fully in one language rather than another. I’m really proud to be now working in a city that has adopted a policy that really heightens the importance of language access."
The New American Economies Cities Index, a survey of immigrant integration, ranked Charlotte 13th on language access among a group of peer cities that includes Austin, Texas; Louisville, Kentucky and Minneapolis.
In the next two years, Yaffe and the office will examine the city’s engagement with citizens who havelimited English proficiency. All city departments will keep records of engagements, and data collection will also include community feedback.
Complaints are especially useful, Yaffe said.
“If people are willing to complain, they're also willing to talk to us,” Yaffe said. “It creates a situation where not only do we get to adjust to the challenge that they have, but it's sort of like, ‘Oh, you wanted to learn about this program?’ or ‘Let me get you involved in this really in-depth way.’ It's a good way of showing continual improvement.”
History of a new city approach to language
Language access has been an issue in Charlotte at least since 1995 when the Charlotte International Cabinet first made policy recommendations. The cabinet advises the mayor and Charlotte City Council on issues of community diversity. In 2015, a task force was created to study the issue and make recommendations, leading to an initial policy proposal in 2019.
"We are all better off if everyone can hear and be heard."Maggie Commins, political science professor at Queens University of Charlotte
One of the key issues identified in an April 2021 community listening session conducted by the cabinet was a barrier to connecting with city government, especially during COVID-19. In a November 2021 letter, the cabinet wrote, “As diverse community leaders we have seen the disparity created when residents are not able to receive vital resources in their language.”
Yaffe agrees with these findings.
“COVID was this moment of recognition across the country that helped us all recognize that not being able to communicate with all of our residents is dangerous," she said. "People and their livelihoods depend on the resources that we can provide.",
The language-access plan signed in November 2021 addresses one of Charlotte’s biggest deficiencies.
Next steps for Charlotte
Now that the policy has been signed, city departments are evaluating what language resources are being provided and what needs improvement. City departments will translate vital documents into targeted languages, build a list of multilingual employees and strengthen interpretation services offered at meetings and events, she said. City departments are also consulting with developers on a translation webpage that uses plain, simple language free of bureaucratic or legal jargon.
A language access coordinator will focus on updated demographics found in the2019 American Community Survey. Key languages other than English for Charlotte, each with 1,000 speakers or more, include Spanish, Vietnamese, French, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Tamil, Telug, Thai, Lao and other Tai-Kadai languages.
Changes are already underway, Yaffe said. One example is how departments have increased use of bilingual flyers. The top three initiatives now are assessing programs, training staff and improving plain language. Translation and interpretation will accompany those steps.
Maggie Commins, a professor of political science at Queens University and member of the international cabinet, said that for immigrants to be full contributors to the life of Charlotte, they need effective two-way communication with city government.
"I work with a refugee family from Syria," Commins said. "They have been taking English classes since they arrived in Charlotte 18 months ago. But it takes time. And, meanwhile, they need to figure out trash pickup, vaccine availability, enrolling their children in school. Being able to do this in their own language doesn’t weaken their desire to learn English. It enables their integration into the life of our city.
"We are all better off if everyone can hear and be heard."