Cristina Brinkerhoff (PhD’22) Gives Testimony for Massachusetts House Language Access Bill
Christina Brinkerhoff (PhD’22) provided testimony on behalf of the Portuguese speaking community in support of a Massachusetts State House bill, An Act Relative to Language Access and Inclusion. Brinkerhoff, a Brazilian immigrant, is a board member of the Brazilian Worker’s Center and whose first language is Portuguese. “Let me first recognize the fact that I am here today speaking in English, and to be fluent in English is a privilege I have not always had,” Brinkerhoff said in her testimony. “It’s a privilege that so many still do not have.”
Language barriers have long been a barrier for the 1 out of 10 Massachusetts residents who are considered limited English proficient. “The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare our Commonwealth’s inability to provide desperately needed information and services in languages other than English,” according to the Language Access for All Coalition. “With one of the most linguistically diverse states in the country, Massachusetts must build the capacity of public-facing state agencies to meet the language access needs of an increasingly diverse population. Non-English speaking residents must have equal access to public health information, education, unemployment assistance, healthcare, housing, and other crucial services, especially those related to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
In addition to state emergencies, Brinkerhoff points out that immigrants’ day-to-day interactions will also benefit from the bill. “We see these statistics live in our communities — when bilingual Brazilian families with children in school are invited to translate for new-coming families with limited language proficiency because the school has no formal ways to communicate with them. When families with limited language proficiency are penalized because they did not understand a document. Or when families are intimidated by formal speech and don’t get their rights honored or their needs met.”
By creating better language access, the government will also be able to prevent minor barriers from affecting immigrant families. “Many times, people and families come to the Brazilian Worker’s Center–not for complex services or with questions that are difficult to resolve–but to translate a government letter they received in English, because there are no translators,” says Brinkerhoff.
If passed, the Language Access and Inclusion act would:
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Ensure that state agencies effectively communicate with a diverse Commonwealth
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Standardize and enforce robust language access plans
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Ensure adequate staffing to meet language access needs
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Create a stakeholder advisory board to assist state agencies in compliance
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Create mechanisms for phased-in implementation