Speakers of some indigenous languages cannot communicate with their children's Philadelphia schools because the district's language service does not offer interpretation in their languages. A school board official says the district must adjust its services to meet families' needs.About a month after she arrived in Philadelphia from her native Guatemala, a mother went to the bus stop to pick up her son.
Her son eventually made his way home with his sister, unharmed, but the experience was traumatic both for the 11-year-old and his mother. Staff who eventually contacted a community organization they knew had access to interpretation services in Qʼeqchiʼ were worried and frustrated, too.
HIAS Pennsylvania, a nonprofit that assists immigrants and refugees from around the world, first began seeing an influx of Qʼeqchiʼ-speaking Guatemalans in the 2021-22 school year, said Michelle Ferguson, education program manager. Last year, HIAS School board vice president Mallory Fix-Lopez, a college professor who teaches English to speakers of other languages, has already reached out to Moon and other community members who spoke to the board in March about the language-access problem, she said. Fix-Lopez signaled changes are coming.
Advocates say they are happy to support families with individual translation when necessary, “but this is not a sustainable approach,” said Julie McIntyre, who works with newcomer immigrant youth at La Puerta Abierta, another Philadelphia nonprofit.