By Michelle Shen
(This story is done in partnership with the URL Collective)
Narrator: Here’s the story of a Philadelphia citizen who brought her daughter to the polls only to leave crying and humiliated without ever casting her ballot.
This is a recounted version from a commissioner meeting on civil rights.
DOJ official: “The poll workers were laughing at the fact that I could not speak English. My daughter told the poll worker in broken English that I needed help in Spanish. They could not help me in Spanish. I became very upset at being laughed at, being made fun of, and I started crying. And I walked out of the polling place. … A Philadelphia citizen testified, our people are good enough to fight in any war, and now when it is our right to vote as United States citizens, we’re laughed at.
Narrator: She’s not the only one. Across America, many polling places still don’t provide proper translators or interpreters, and even when translators are provided, they’re inaccurate at times.
DOJ official: “One of my favorites, a local school bond issue in Kansas, translated school children as cabritos.”
Narrator: When people use the word cabrito, they’re often referring to a young goat, not a child.
DOJ official: “New York City reversed yes and no on Chinese language ballots on a ballot proposition.”
Narrator: Here’s what you can do. From now until April 21 the US Commission on Civil Rights is accepting public comments to this email address
([email protected]). If you or someone you know has experienced barriers to language access, whether it’s related to voting or accessing benefits, make your voice heard.
