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Some Hispanic Crime Victims in Birmingham Face Language Barrier

By Alaina Bookman | abookman@al.com Advocates working with the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama (HICA) often receive calls from people who want help from police, but feel unable to accurately communicate their needs through a language barrier. Jefferson County has a growing Hispanic population and the organization says it needs help getting resources to residents who […]
The post Some Hispanic Crime Victims in Birmingham Face Language Barrier first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

5 months ago

December 5, 2023

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By Alaina Bookman | abookman@al.com

Advocates working with the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama (HICA) often receive calls from people who want help from police, but feel unable to accurately communicate their needs through a language barrier.

Jefferson County has a growing Hispanic population and the organization says it needs help getting resources to residents who don’t speak English. Over the next month, coalition members will work with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office to lead multiple cultural and linguistic law enforcement training sessions.

So far in 2023, the coalition has served 188 victims of domestic violence. It can be hard for people who speak Spanish or an indigenous language to accurately communicate their needs to police, advocates say, or find the right resources. Many people rely on their children to act as English translators, which can result in children hearing and recounting traumatic details. And sometimes, language barriers mean that a victim is arrested instead of their abuser.

“Language access is a concern, it’s a challenge, it’s a barrier. I think it is the top concern we as a state should improve upon and do better,” Strong Families Project Manager Angelica Melendez said.

Through Sept. 2023, the coalition has served 408 victims of crimes, 324 of which were noted as having limited English proficiency.

“We take into consideration the cultural factors and beliefs people bring to the table. We serve a lot of undocumented victims, who perhaps don’t have the same access to resources as someone who is a U.S. citizen. We know how to navigate that,” Melendez said.

Language barriers, fear of law enforcement and fear of deportation are barriers some Hispanic and Latino people face when choosing to report a crime.

Coalition members say Alabama, like many southern states, has a growing Limited English Proficient population, but very little infrastructure available to support this population.

In 2020, Hispanic people made up about 5% of the state’s population, or about 264,000 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Availability Of Interpreters

Coalition members say there is a gap between federally mandated standards for language services and the availability of interpreters.

Many courts and law enforcement agencies do not have interpreters on their staff, leaving non English speaking individuals without the resources they may need in urgent or high stakes situations.

Members of the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, Angelica Melendez, April Alvarez, Maria Elena Frias and Daniel Novoa, are working to reduce language barriers for victims of domestic violence. (PROVIDED)

“Recognizing that people have cultural linguistic needs and adapting your approaches and perspective when you work in a services agency is super important to changing outcomes. The government and the state should also recognize that it’s a law to provide meaningful access to services,” Melendez said.

The coalition serves clients who speak a wide range of indigenous languages, not just Spanish. Melendez said language barriers can be detrimental when attending court or even life threatening when reporting crimes.

“We deal with a lot with domestic violence cases and a mom that may have been strangled or raped is not going to share those details with her child and that could be the difference between a misdemeanor offense or a felony,” Ana Okert, the coalition’s survivor advocate said.

Ockert has led a few of the Jefferson County cultural and linguistic law enforcement trainings.

“We’ve talked about the importance of just learning who you’re serving,” Ockert said.

Lieutenant William Powell, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office training coordinator, said he encourages his deputies to attend community events and learn what resources are available for Hispanic and immigrant residents.

“We were having some language barriers when our deputies would make contact with Spanish speaking citizens. That was one way to allow better interaction with deputies and the Spanish speaking community,” Powell said.

He said the cultural and linguistic training sessions are coupled with “Spanish for law enforcement” classes and implicit bias training.

“In the last couple of years, there’s kind of been a decay in our relationship with the community. So we’re trying to rebuild. We have to get with the stakeholders, get with the community leaders, talk with people, try to find out what they need and what their expectations are of us,” Powell said.

“We Understand Their Fear”

The coalition’s Victims of Crime program provides clients with free intake assessment, crisis intervention, safety planning, counseling, support groups, economic assistance, relocation, protection from abuse orders and court accompaniment.

“If basic needs are not addressed, they’re not going to feel confident or have what they need in order to succeed, to be more confident in the criminal justice system,” HICA Family and Victim Advocate April Alvarez said.

“Accessing services in their language, just knowing their rights, having someone who is familiar with the system helps a lot and makes them feel like they are not alone or trapped.”

Alvarez urges law enforcement to “do their best” to educate themselves about the resources available for Spanish-speaking victims of crimes, such as reaching out to the coalition’s advocates to support victims.

Maria Elena Frias, the coalition’s citizenship and immigration program manager, helps undocumented clients apply for humanitarian visas.

Humanitarian visas were created by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to encourage undocumented victims of crimes to report crimes.

Frias said case management can last for years, sometimes more than a decade, as visas can take up to 15 years to be granted after applying, and 5 to 7 years for work permits.

“The work permit for victims, especially when they’re starting over on their own, without the financial support of the perpetrator, is a big deal for them,” Frias said. “Having a work permit is life changing for them.”

“Sometimes deportation is an issue. They are not able to find a job because they don’t have a work permit. Sometimes that is one of the reasons victims of domestic violence stay in their abusive relationships, because how are they going to support their children,” Melendez said. “We understand their fear.”

Daniel Novoa, Strong Families safe communities navigator, works on the education and prevention side of the coalition. He said members are working to implement an in-school program to discuss what healthy relationships look like.

“If you provide it in the schools, in the court system, in any entity that could provide a social service, then you’re ensuring people that they can get services and resources to assure their safety,” Ockert said.

“If better language access is provided, then everything else falls into place so that people can thrive and be productive members of society.”

Read more: Learn more about AL.com’s new violence prevention reporter, Alaina, and support her work.

This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.

The post Some Hispanic Crime Victims in Birmingham Face Language Barrier first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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3 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

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The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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