Q&A
Agency-level language access expansions beyond the top 10 languages
2:38:57
·
3 min
Lorena Lucero from MOIA explains that individual city agencies have been expanding language access beyond the top 10 languages designated by Local Law 30. Council Member Avilés responds, emphasizing the need for more concrete action and timelines.
- Agencies evaluate their interactions with different groups and expand language services accordingly
- Some agencies have already expanded beyond the top 10 languages
- MOIA is working on aligning with state metrics for language access
- Council Member Avilés expresses frustration with the lack of concrete timelines and designations
- There's a call for MOIA to 'land the plane' and make definitive decisions on language designations
Lorena Lucero
2:38:57
You know, I'll say that because the law and the way that it was written also emphasizes the fact that each agency per se evaluates interactions with different types of groups and folks who interface with them, Although there's we have these top 10 languages that have existed, agencies on their own have, and through the support of Moi, through the support of ops, have expanded to not just the top 10.
2:39:24
Like, there's a number of them.
2:39:25
But to the point that you're making, I think that and what we're saying is, yes, the law doesn't indicate a time frame.
2:39:33
However, we are evaluating given some of the changes that have happened, closing proximity to what the work the work that we're doing right now.
2:39:41
I can sit here and say that I think that we hope to do more within within the year.
2:39:47
I also know that council itself has pushed the city with local law 13 in particular with the temporary languages but that's sort of where we are in in this regard.
2:39:58
That although the law doesn't speculate what how how quickly those plans are updated, agencies on their own have already expanded that.
2:40:07
But we do we are working on alignment in regard to some of the other metrics that have been provided by the state, for example.
Alexa Avilés
2:40:14
Yeah.
2:40:15
No.
2:40:16
Thank you for that.
2:40:17
I mean, I think, you know, it's landing the plane.
2:40:19
Right?
2:40:20
If the mayor's office of immigrant affairs who's moving this forward can't figure out is designation.
2:40:26
And when it re ups the designation in concrete terms, and agencies are all over the place, and we still have gaps.
2:40:33
Like, we still have this very healthy or sheltered context that, you know, we need to we need to ground somehow, and we need to say, we've looked at our assessments, we've looked at the context given what we know, given the state the state.
2:40:51
The state did it.
2:40:52
Why can't we land a plane and say, we reaffirm these are designated languages for now given it's this constant state of assessment and not knowing because the law did not stipulate the agency should land the plane.
2:41:09
Feels very unsettling in the context.
Dan Steinberg
2:41:14
I agree.
2:41:14
In the sense that, of course, the city should take the initiative of when possible.
2:41:18
I do wonder if it, you know, what the DCP population division would say about the methodology that was used which, you know, originally, and whether it's problematic or replicated given the political kind of nature of the last census.
2:41:35
And and and and so I I have to do that.
Alexa Avilés
2:41:38
And and those are the kinds of assessment we'd like to see.
2:41:41
Like, what is what is happening?
2:41:42
What is the thinking?
2:41:43
And how do we how do we get to that place within a time frame?
2:41:49
You know?
2:41:49
Yeah.
2:41:50
Q1, Q4 of 25, we are gonna land the plane because these are important.
2:41:56
These are important questions that we need to respond to.
2:41:59
So I appreciate that.
2:42:00
So I want to ask one last question and then open for public testimony for those who remain and have been so patient.
2:42:08
I thank you all.
2:42:10
In terms of in relation to the legislation that council member, Henif, has put forward, you mentioned some practical learnings around why you do not agree with the legislation.
2:42:25
Can you explain that more fully for the record?
