Call Us MN: 24/7 bilingual crisis line (651) 772-1611
Language access
Access to Indigenous languages
Changes in demographics in the last few years have shown an increasing number of Indigenous peoples of Latin America arriving at the border and asking for asylum. Although Census data shows increases as well, there are big levels of underreporting due to many factors including the way we collect data. Many Indigenous people identify themselves as “Hispanic or Latino” because they believe the American Indian or Alaskan Native category is reserved for those who officially belong to tribes (Giron.A., 2017).
In Latin America, being part of a tribe or being considered American Indian varies by country and depends on many factors. A clear challenge, whether they are in their countries of origin or here in America, is the need for language access. With over 70 language families and 448 languages specifically, the linguistic diversity in Latin America is vast.
Indigenous people from Latin America immigrate to the United States for many different reasons: mostly to work in rural settings in agricultural work, but also in the construction industry and other similar ones where the need for communication is low. However, being Limited English Proficient or even sometimes being Limited Spanish Proficient makes them a target for crime and vulnerable to gender-based violence. We have heard many cases in which language access is not afforded to these survivors, including those who arrive at the border to seek asylum because they are fleeing gender-based violence.
Many Indigenous migrants go from ancestral lands to big cities/towns in their countries of origin, and others go directly into the US. It is this last group that encounters the most challenges: accessing and keeping jobs, lack of knowledge about their rights, victimization, among others. (Yescas, C. 2010).
To help, we have collected below resources and other materials that may help advocates identify speakers of Indigenous languages, provide them with the opportunity to tell their story in their own language, and facilitate equal access to safety, justice and healing.
Indigenous language access resources
Data
- Facts and figures regarding the Indigenous Language of Latin America
- Families of languages among Indigenous Languages of South America
Social and historical context of Indigenous peoples
- Historical context and current revitalization of Indigenous Languages in Latin America
- Navigating racial identity categories in US Census Forms
- Support for Families who speak Mixtec – Video about a school rallying to support indigenous students who spoke Mixtec.
Indigenous migrants’ realities
- Consequences of the lack of language access among Indigenous migrants
- New programs to help Indigenous migrants at the border
- Five children have died at Border Patrol since December 2018
- Lack of language access exacerbates immigrant border crisis
- Indigenous migrants, their movement, and their challenges
Indigenous language interpreters and the courts
- How Indigenous-language court interpreters and clients navigate the U.S. court system
- Disparities around language access
- Immigration courts overwhelmed by Indigenous languages
- The challenges indigenous interpreters face in Oregon
- The conditions under which Indigenous language interpreters work
Indigenous immigrants and Covid-19
How public health crisis like Covid-19 led to Indigenous immigrants connect to vital information in their language
Resources for finding Indigenous interpreters
- Maya Interpreters – Language agency
- Cal Interpreting and Translations – Mayan languages interpreters and translations
- Mayan Language Interpreting and Translating – Languages: Achí, Kaqchikel, K’iche, Tz’utujil,
- Indigenous Interpreters Alliance – language/interpretation services
Indigenous Community Organizations
- MICOP (Mixteco Indígena Community Organizing Project) – Mixteco language/interpreting resource- community organizing.
- Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA) – Mam women support group – Community organizing.
- Comunidades Indigenas en Liderazgo (CIELO) – Social justice/culturally specific organization.
Indigenous rights organizations
- Cultural Survival – Organization working for indigenous rights worldwide
- Alianza Indigena sin Fronteras – Indigenous Alliance without Borders – international Indigenous rights nonprofit organization
Reports and collections - Further reading
- Draft of Indigenous Languages Plans – Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties – Department of Homeland Security
- Observations on the State of Indigenous Human Rights in the United States (2019)
- The Archive of the Indigenous Languages of Latin America – registration required
- Endangered Languages Project – Map showing a worldwide collection of at-risk, endangered and dormant languages
