LINCOLN, Neb. -- Not one law-enforcement agency in Nebraska is meeting all U.S. Department of Justice guidance and best practices on how to provide language access to residents with limited English proficiency, despite a wealth of available tools and resources, according to a new ACLU Nebraska report.

Rose Godinez, interim legal director for the group, said it is critical for all residents who encounter police to understand what is being said.

"We hope Nebraska law-enforcement agencies will explore these strategies and understand and address language access to ensure public safety for all, and to protect the constitutional rights for all Nebraskans," Godinez stated.

Federal law requires law-enforcement agencies receiving federal funds to ensure people with limited English proficiency have meaningful language access to services. But 12 of 19 agencies surveyed did not have instructions for their officers on how and when to access language services during interviews, interrogations or traffic stops.

ACLU Nebraska is calling on the Nebraska Crime Commission to update its 2015 language access plan to address the deficiencies. The commission did not respond to a request for comment.

Researchers found 14 of 19 law-enforcement agencies did not have any officers who had attended training on how to navigate language barriers.

Godinez emphasized once adopted, new policies also need to be publicized, so people will know that they can request interpreters or translators if they are stopped or questioned by police.

"If individuals don't see the policy, or don't see that this is available, they won't ask for it," Godinez pointed out. "Then there really isn't any meaningful language access being provided."

Census figures show nearly 5% of Nebraskans have limited English proficiency, and more than one in ten speak a language other than English at home.

Godinez noted entire communities are safer when everyone, regardless of languages spoken, feels valued and heard by those entrusted to keep us safe.

As Asian Americans continue to face discrimination and hate crimes, new funding could aid New York officials in reporting - and preventing - these incidents.

The multipurpose funding, from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, will be used to create grants to help community groups in New York City educate people about Asian American culture. The hope is to alleviate some of the tension that has grown since former President Donald Trump dubbed COVID-19 "the China virus."

Kalaya'an Mendoza, director of mutual protection for the group Nonviolent Peaceforce, said Asian Americans need time to process what has gone on.

"We haven't had a chance to pause. We haven't had a chance to heal. I think we are constantly put into a state of hypervigilance," he said. "I think that there needs to be dedicated spaces, for us and our communities to be able to recognize the trauma that we've experienced."

He said he hopes people can work to create a safer and more equitable world, and added that this mindset needs to be part of the immediate response to the violence. According to Stop AAPI Hate, more than 11,000 hate crimes have been reported in the last two years.

On a state level, Mendoza said he'd like to see this dealt with as a public health issue, with more resources for developing holistic public-safety practices for Asian Americans. On a federal level, his organization wants to see more cooperation between local and national advocacy groups, and a more robust dialogue on how to keep people safe.

"It's important for us to be able to listen to what the direct needs around safety are," he said, "and to be able to tailor and support and provide the resources - whether that's through trainings, whether that's through advisement or supporting the safety infrastructure. "

Until people are better able to address the root causes of racism, Mendoza said, he is worried that little change will occur. However, Congress passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act last year to expedite the review of hate crimes and hate-crime reports.

What it's like to walk a mile in another person's shoes isn't always easy to imagine, but one nonprofit group in Indiana is doing what it can to help broaden people's horizons in Lake County.

The Legacy Foundation has been engaging the community with an old-fashioned form of shared experience: the book talk. Over the course of 2021, the "Conscious Conversations" program brought monthly public book discussions to northwest Indiana. Each month, a different book was selected.

Maranda Engquist, marketing and communications manager for the Legacy Foundation, said the goal is to raise awareness about inequity in the community.

"All of the books focused on Black America, and really helped individuals identify some racial injustices within our own communities," Engquist explained. "The whole goal was really to utilize these stories as a guide to work towards a more equitable and inclusive Lake County, Indiana."

Engquist noted if you would like to start your own discussion group, resources are available, including free copies of selected books. The Conscious Conversations discussion guides and related questions are on the Legacy Foundation's website.

While some might see book clubs as relics of the past, Engquist pointed out the Conscious Conversations program proved to be so popular, other groups sprung up around the selections to host their own talks.

"We also had partner sites," Engquist emphasized. "We had professors at local universities, we had some of our local libraries, we had individuals that were very interested in this, and they would host their own conversations, their own monthly book club. So, in total we had about 100 conversations throughout the entire year."

In addition to books, some months included short films or documentaries for discussion. As the community came together for the discussions, Engquist added many came to learn from the works, while others shared their own experiences with lack of inclusion.

"So, it was very interesting to see and hear about one book from both perspectives," Engquist observed. "Of people coming in for the education piece, but then also others then wanting to just utilize the space to talk about what they experience."

Support for this reporting was provided by The Legacy Foundation.


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Hispanic Heritage Month began in mid-September and runs through Oct. 15, and a financial institution in Washington state is finding unique ways to serve Hispanic members of its community.

Newrizons Credit Union in the western Washington town of Hoquiam offers a variety of financial services to people, regardless of whether they are even members of the credit union. Its chief executive, Ynette Gibbs, said one of the services it provides is helping people with low incomes file their tax returns.

"That helps the Hispanic community, because they get to know a financial institution that's asking for nothing from them," she said, "and they're providing a service that allows them to legally file their taxes, whether they themselves are legal in the country or not."

Gibbs said folks who don't have legal status need to provide an individual tax identification number, or ITIN, to have their income taxes done. She noted that they also can open bank accounts with that number. Gibbs said some of the biggest obstacles to serving Hispanic community members are language and a lack of overall trust in financial institutions.

Another way Newrizons builds trust with this community is through internships for local high school students. Also, Gibbs will be speaking on a National Credit Union Administration panel next month about the credit union's 'Pathway to Citizenship' program.

"That's a program where we marry together the concept of a savings account and a line of credit," she said, "particularly focused on paying the costs of gaining citizenship, which can be a 10-year process."

In a 2017 report, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. found about 30% of low-income Hispanic households didn't have bank accounts. Gibbs said some rely on payday lenders because of their lack of trust in traditional financial institutions. She said credit unions such as hers are willing to take a chance on folks who may not have had the chance to bank elsewhere.

"We're more open to getting to know that person and helping them," she said, "when others may not be willing to, or just don't see the value in that sector to serve."