>> THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN ILLINOIS, ACCORDING TO COOK COUNTY DATA.

35% OF RESIDENTS SPEAK A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH AT HOME.

WHILE 40% OF THOSE PEOPLE SAY THEY SPEAK ENGLISH LESS THAN VERY WELL.

MEANWHILE, AS MIGRANTS CONTINUE TO ARRIVE IN CHICAGO WITH LITTLE TO NO ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS, THEY FACE LIMITED RESOURCES TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE THEIR NEW CIRCUMSTANCES.

NOW, A BILL GOING THROUGH SPRINGFIELD AIMS TO ELIMINATE ELIMINATE THE LANGUAGE BARRIER WHEN ACCESSING GOVERNMENT SERVICES.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE OUR GRACE PIE, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE CHICAGO AND REPROT AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE DOUG MIGHT.

I MEAN, WHOSE DISTRICT INCLUDES PART OF THE SOUTHWEST SUBURBS.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US NOW REPRESENT REPRESENTATIVE THE LEAD.

I WANT TO GO WITH YOU.

CAN YOU START BY TELLING US HOW IS BILL DIFFERENT FROM THE CURRENT LANGUAGE SERVICES?

CHICAGOANS ARE FAMILIAR WITH.

>> YEAH.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING HERE TODAY.

TO YOUR QUESTION.

I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE IS WE'RE TRYING TO FIND AN APPROACH, DAD EACH OF OUR LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT POPULATION BEAT NOT JUST BE ON CHICAGO, BUT IN THE CHICAGO SUBURBS AS WELL CENTRAL IN DOWNSTATE ILLINOIS.

SO WHAT WE'RE TRULY TRYING TO DO WITH HB 32, 22 IS TO BE ABLE HAVE A LANGUAGE ACCESS POLICY.

IT ACTUALLY FITS THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN ILLINOIS.

>> AND WHERE WOULD YOU SAY THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ARE CURRENTLY LACKING?

YEAH, WHAT I WOULD SAY AND I CAN TELL YOU FROM MY EXPERIENCE, NOT WORKING AS A STATE LEGISLATOR, BUT PREVIOUS TO THAT.

>> AS THE DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS AT ILLINOIS COALITION FOR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS.

>> THE ORGANIZATION HAS NOW WHAT IS 20 YEAR PROGRAM CALLED IMMIGRANT FAMILY RESOURCE PROGRAM.

IT SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS BARRIERS TO ACCESS TO NOT ACCESS TO 2 STATE AGENCIES WHEN IT COMES TO LANGUAGE, BUT THEN ALSO OTHER BARRIERS THAT HAS TO DO WITH CULTURAL COMPETENCY.

SO THROUGHOUT THE 20 YEARS THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN IN PLACE, WE HAVE SEEN THAT TIME AND TIME AGAIN WHILE WE MAY HAVE SOME STATE AGENCIES THAT DO HAVE WONDERFUL LANGUAGE ACCESS PROGRAMS, THERE ARE STATE AGENCIES THAT ARE LACKING ON THEIR LANGUAGE ACCESS PROGRAM WHEN IT COMES TO TRAINING AS WELL AS HIRING PEOPLE BE ON THE SPANISH LANGUAGE TO BE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT INDIVIDUALS AND GRACE TALKING ABOUT THAT.

IF SOMEONE CAN'T LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE, HOW ARE FAMILIES LEFT TO NAVIGATE GOVERNMENT SERVICES WHICH IS WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, WE'VE HEARD MANY STORIES FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE HAD TO PROVIDE TRANSLATION INTERPRETATION FOR THEIR FAMILIES WHEN THEIR KIDS.

>> A LOT OF IMMIGRANT FAMILIES HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE RIGHT OF HAVING TO ASK THEIR KIDS TO TRANSLATE FOR THEM AT THE GROCERY STORE AT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE, PLACES WHERE IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE FOR A CHILD TO HAVE TO PLAY THAT ROLE.

WE REALLY HOPE THAT WHEN SOMEBODY NEEDS TO SEEK SATE STATE SERVICES THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO SO WITH THE PROFESSIONAL INTERPRETER, SOMEONE WHOSE JOB IT IS TO HELP THEM SERVICES SO THAT THE BURDEN ISN'T FALLING ON FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS WHO ARE OFTEN DOING THAT FOR MULTIPLE FAMILY.

YOU JUST SAID SOMETHING WAS ABOUT TO ASK.

YOU DO SEE THIS EASING THE BURDEN.

ABSOLUTELY.

RIGHT NOW A LOT OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE ILLINOIS COALITION FOR IMMIGRANT REFUGEE RIGHTS, WHICH REPRESENTATIVE ALL ARE MENTIONED HAVE TO FILL THE GAP.

RIGHT.

AND THERE ARE CERTAIN STATE AGENCIES THAT ARE DOING A GOOD JOB.

BUT WE WANT ALL STATE AGENCIES TO HAVE A GOOD TO DO A GOOD JOB AND TO HAVE A PLAN.

I THINK THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECES THAT RIGHT NOW SOME STATE AGENCIES DON'T HAVE A STRONG PLAN IN TERMS OF PROVIDING LANGUAGE ACCESS.

AND WE KNOW THAT THE NEED IS HUGE SALE, MOST SCRAMBLING TO FIND THIS NEED AND RIGHT.

AND A LOT OF THERE ARE A LOT OF AMAZING COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE FILLING THE GAP, ESPECIALLY FOR LANGUAGE GROUPS THAT ARE NOT AS COMMONLY SPOKEN.

BUT REALLY WE WANT THAT TO BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF GOVERNMENT AND REPRESENTATIVE THE LIGHT, YOUR IMMIGRANT YOURSELF AND NOW A U.S. CITIZEN.

CAN YOU SPEAK ABOUT HOW DIFFICULT IT CAN BE TO NAVIGATE THESE SERVICES WITHOUT THE RIGHT SUPPORT?

ABSOLUTELY.

YOU KNOW, AS GRACE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE RULE THAT SOMETIMES IMMIGRANT CHILDREN GET TO TO TO PLAY.

>> IN PARENTS LIVE HERE IN THE U.S. HAS GRACE WAS TALKING ABOUT BECOMING OUR PARENTS TRANSLATORS.

REMEMBER AT THE AGE OF 15 AND BEING MY MOTHER'S TRANSLATOR FOR AN ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND JUST THINKING ABOUT HAPPENING IN THE 2, THOUSANDS IN KNOWING THAT AT THIS POINT IN THE MOMENT THAT WE'RE LIVING 2023, THEN WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTING AS THEIR TRANSLATORS WHEN WE MIGHT NOT BE QUALIFIED TO INTERPRET IN A MEDICAL SETTING AND IMMIGRATION SITTING LET ALONE AT A NEW STRAIN OF HEARING WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE OFFICE.

YOU KNOW, AS SOMEBODY WHO WHO ACTED AND CONTINUES TO ACT AS MY PARENTS TRANSLATOR TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE THE PROCESS.

I THINK THAT THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT LANGUAGE TAXES, BUT ABOUT BUILDING TRUST WITH OUR STATE AGENCIES AND WITH OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS LIVING IN ILLINOIS.

>> I MEAN, REMEMBER I WAS YOUNG AS 9 TRANSLATING FOR MY PARENTS AT DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS.

NOW, GRACE GOING TO YOU.

THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES THAT CAN, THAT COULD BE IMPACTED BY THIS LEGISLATION.

HOW MANY DIFFERENT GROUP GROUPS CAN COME TOGETHER TO ADVOCATE FOR LANGUAGE EQUITY.

WE'VE BUILT A MULTIRACIAL MULTIETHNIC COALITION BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE IMPACTED BY LANGUAGE ACCESS.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ASSUME IT'S JUST THE LATINO COMMUNITY.

THAT MEANS LANGUAGE ACCESS.

BUT THERE ARE SO MANY LANGUAGE GROUPS THAT ARE LEFT OUT OF THE CURRENT LANGUAGE ACCESS THAT PEOPLE RECEIVE.

SO I REPRESENT ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY WORK IN THE ASIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY WHERE THERE ARE DOZENS OF LANGUAGES SPOKEN.

WE'VE ALSO PARTNERED WITH AFRICAN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES RIGHT WHO REPRESENT OTHER LANGUAGE GROUPS, AIR OF AMERICAN COMMUNITIES.

>> THERE'S SO MUCH NEED OUT THERE.

LANGUAGES LIKE VIETNAMESE KOREAN TO ALL OF OUR NOT ALWAYS KIND OF COUNTED IN THE TOP 5.

AND I ALSO WANT TO ASK YOU'RE GOING JUST BEEN A DAY IN SPRINGFIELD ADVOCATING FOR THE BILL.

HOW DID THAT GO?

IT WAS EXCELLENT.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT MOTIVATES A LOT OF PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY'RE PERSONALLY IMPACTED BY IT.

SO WE HAD A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY BASED LEADERS WHO TRAVELED TO SPRINGFIELD, WHO MET WITH THEIR LEGISLATORS.

WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE 8 NEW CO SPONSOR COMMITMENTS.

SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BRING THAT ENERGY AND MOMENTUM BACK TO SPRINGFIELD IN JANUARY AND REPRESENTED THE LEVEE ONLY HAVE A COUPLE SECONDS LEFT, BUT WHAT HAPPENS FROM NOW?

UNTIL THEN?

>> WHAT WHAT HAPPENS FOR NOW?

UNTIL THEN HE'S CONTINUED TO ADVOCATE.

WE ARE NOT JUST ORGANIZATIONS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO CONTINUE TO CONTACT THEIR STATE REPRESENTATIVE AS WELL AS THEIR STATE SENATOR TO LET THEM KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS BILL BECOMES A LAW.

>> SO WE HAVE WE ACTUALLY HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE QUESTION.

HOW WOULD YOU SAY, YOU KNOW, THAT PEOPLE REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS SERVICE?

ABSOLUTELY.

IN A LANGUAGE.

ACCESS IS A RIGHT.

WE SHOULD LIVE IN A MULTI-LINGUAL SOCIETY.

ENGLISH IS NOT, YOU KNOW, THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE UNITED STATES.

WE ARE A NATION MADE UP OF SO MANY DIFFERENT, VIBRANT AND DIVERSE COMMUNITIES.

AND REALLY WE OWE IT TO ALL OF OUR, YOU KNOW, IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS, WHETHER THEY JUST ARRIVED IN CHICAGO OR WHETHER THEY'VE BEEN HERE FOR GENERATIONS, THAT THIS IS A WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE