Latinos | Ahna Hendrix

What is La Voz Translation Services?

I realized two days ago I haven’t been keeping my blog up to date on the program I have been working on.

Truthfully, I’ve been too busy to be as diligent with my blog writing as I need or want to be, but I thought I had dedicated one blog to talking about the program and everything it has to offer.

The process of getting La Voz together has been, well, quite the process. I have wanted to write about the frustrations and issues all along, but a large part of me doesn’t like putting negative energy into the “blog-sphere.” (Yes, that’s one of my words…I think) 🙂 But now the rough waters are beginning to calm, and I can see where I could have shared.

La Voz was a project I came up with over the summer while working with the Carrboro Police Department. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the meanderings I was doing mentally would turn into a solid idea. I worked there as an office girl, and part-time interpretor. I was able to assist the police officers and detectives when someone came in who could only speak Spanish – if they needed my help.

The police department does not have anyone on their staff who is fluent in Spanish, and with Carrboro’s Latino population resting at 9.1%, that’s a significant chunk of the community who is unable to communicate. To be fair, the CPD is actively looking for officers who are fluent, and would like to incorporate more Spanish speakers to the team.

But, this lack resulted in arrests for small tickets, or other time and money consuming activities which were often the consequence of simply not being understood. It is not natural for Latinos to appear in court for every ticket they are given.

I saw pain and frustration among the non-English speakers (some whom were not Spanish speakers), and the police department on money and time wasted in the court systems. I asked myself repeatedly how this could be solved. I knew there had to be a solution.

The solution came to me as most ideas or “solutions” (I call them Ahna solutions) do – at 3 a.m. when I am being an insomniac and can’t seem to turn my brain off. But, like all great ideas it was thought over, and then pushed aside because I didn’t have the time or the resources to begin such an endeavor.

The time came through a project in my Latina/o Media Studies class at UNC-Chapel Hill. We weren’t supposed to create a solution to the communities need, we were just supposed to create media products that would help Latinos. Of course, I took it to the extreme.

La Voz Translation Services is a volunteer-based program that will assist the Chapel Hill and Carrboro Police Departments in their communication with non-English speaking residents. It will also assist non-English speaking residents communicate with the police department. The program is to remain neutral in all its interactions, and remain “The Voice” between two languages.

La Voz Translation Services

The program has incredible potential to truly meet the needs of the community on several levels, and although we are initially going to begin working with the police departments, the goal is to reach out to other government and local organizations in the future. And I plan to extend the languages offered through the program.

La Voz has been featured in several publications, and was just asked to be interviewed by La Voz Presenta which is a television program in Kinston, North Carolina. The weekly show is shown across 26 counties, and seen by over three million viewers.

La Voz is currently in talks with two organizations heavily rooted in the Triangle, one with UNC-CH, and the other within the community. Both of these partnerships would enable La Voz the support and resources to elevate to a level where it could make an enormous impact. Exciting news will be coming….

I am including links to the articles published on La Voz, as well as our Facebook and Twitter accounts. I plan to create the website over my Christmas break, and will post that link as well when it is completed.

Please look into the program, follow us on Twitter, “like” our Facebook page (to stay up on news), and share your feedback and ideas. Programs such as these are conceived through one individual, but are given flight through the participation of many individuals. I welcome any ideas.

Latino Journalism and Media at Carolina (latijam)

Carrboro Commons

The Daily Tar Heel

La Voz Translation Services Facebook Page (please note, you will need to be signed into Facebook to access the page – if the link does not work you can search “La Voz Translation Services” and it will come right up)

@LaVozNC Twitter

Please feel free to contact us for volunteer opportunities at lavoztranslation@gmail.com

Arizona Is NO Longer A Part Of Free America

I have been keeping up on the bill that was brought up in Arizona against immigration. The man who proposed it was personally hurt by an immigrant who shot down his son. He said that this had nothing to do with him drafting the bill-but a measure so strongly opposed made me wonder.

I didn’t believe that it was possible that such a law would be passed in America. I felt there was no way that an American could allow such a direct violation of human rights. We are a free country, we are able to walk the streets and not fear the violence and abuse that is often seen in other countries.

When I lived in Panama my home was two doors down from a mini supermercado and I always took my passport just to go there. The police were brutal and were always wanting to see identification. Panama’s passport visa has been up for debate for a few years, and so the police have enough power to throw whomever they want into jail if they feel they are a threat. Can you imagine what type of fear that put inside of me whenever I saw a police officer? I was petrified.

And this is what we are doing to the immigrants. The immigrants who for the most part would prefer to be in their countries where they can live life at a reasonable pace-not this crazy rat race we have in the US. They come because they want their children to have an education, they want to support their families, or they come because their countries, like Mexico are becoming too dangerous.

I am not saying there are not immigrants here because they want the American dream-of course there are and why would anyone not want it? We represent freedom in a confined world where dictators and communism prevail. America is certainly far from perfect, but if you have traveled at all then you can understand that we have more rights than any other country.

At lunch I was discussing this issue with a friend because I had read that Obama had come out opposed to it in a speech. I was relived that Obama was taking a stand and that he was opposed to this ridiculous law.

But when I came back from running, I jumped on Twitter and saw article after article saying that the Gov. Jan Brewer had passed the bill.

I cannot even describe the emotions that ran through me as I read the NY Times article. I was angry and so very sad-tears ran down my face and even now I want to go and do something about it immediately.

I hope this backfires on Republicans and ignorant citizens that have no idea who it is that resides in our country. Our families were all immigrants at one time or another-we are a mixed nation and this is wrong.

This law will break the trust of law enforcement in Arizona, it will give more power to the officers who are against immigration and may cause severe racial profiling.

That does not even include what it will feel like for these immigrants to live in Arizona. They will fear going to the grocery store or paying a bill. They will fear and fear and that fear will bring anger and when the anger cannot be contained anymore it will explode.

I do agree that the United States government has dropped the ball concerning immigration for a long time. It has not been dealt with and therefore this woman feels like she needs to march out the troops and sound the alarm on something that I am sure she does not even understand. But our country has been dealing with an economic depression-immigration was put behind for the time being.

President Obama needs to act quickly before other states begin to think about enacting the same laws and we become a country that is daily losing human rights.

I am fiercely against anything that undercuts the freedom we have been given and if Americans do not believe that this will affect them then they are sorely mistaken.

America loses more and more rights every day. And if we don’t do something about it, then we will only have ourselves to blame.

Carrboro to Gain Advocates for Hispanics

El Centro Hispano was founded more than 17 years ago in the basement of a church after it became apparent that Latinos were having problems assimilating into American culture. The organization grew into a cornerstone for Latinos in Durham.

Now El Centro Hispano, largely unknown in Orange County is expanding to Carrboro.

“It started with one volunteer and they offered some ESL classes and basic things. Then they started bringing more people in, hired an executive director and then we moved to our building on West Main Street 10 years ago,” said Pilar Rocha-Goldberg, executive director of El Centro Hispano.

After opening, El Centro Hispano saw problems in how Hispanics handled their money. Latinos who kept their money on their person or hidden in their homes were often robbed.

“The concept of having a bank account, especially in rural areas, is not a good thing so people keep their money under their mattresses or wherever. On Fridays when the Latino community got paid they had the money in their pockets and they were getting robbed,” said Rocha-Goldberg.

In 1999 Hispanic leaders in the Durham area began to meet and discuss the problem. El Centro Hispano, credit union activists and other banking and advocacy institutions began talking and a year later the Latino Community Credit Union was given their charter and opened its doors.

“About 70 percent of Hispanics have not had a bank account and don’t have credit history. And they do not know how to deal with the banking institutions,” said Alejandro Sanchez, director of organizational development for LCCU.

The two non-profits worked side-by-side in the same building for several years before the credit union decided to find its larger venue, which opened in January 2010.

“We believe in the model of having social service and financial services close together. But they were growing, so they decided to be independent, separated from El Centro Hispano and now are a totally independent organization,” said Rocha-Goldberg.

El Centro Hispano offers a variety of services to its members. The center offers a membership program where individuals pay $20 a year or $30 for families, and it gives them access to all the programs offered.

Members have their pictures taken and the laminated cards include personal information. The cards give Latinos discounts in some businesses and also serve as informal identification at others.

“But that doesn’t mean if they don’t get a membership then they can’t come here, because no matter what everything is free except for the summer camp program and the soccer leagues because we need funding for those programs,” said Rocha-Goldberg.

The list of services offered is endless at El Centro Hispano. Their offices are located in a brightly colored building downtown Durham. The orange and yellow walls serve as a backdrop for the English classes, Spanish literacy classes, youth tutoring, drinking prevention workshops and HIV/STD prevention workshop-just to name a few.

“The services and culture program is a service where people come in without an appointment for whatever they need. Translation, interpretation, questions about the health system and we connect them with the resources in the community if we cannot help them in the center,” said Rocha-Goldberg.

Similarly the Latino Community Credit Union, a member-owned non-profit has been making its own impact since it opened its doors more than 10 years ago. To date they have opened 10 branches all over North Carolina and have become a trusted credit union in the eyes of the communities where they reside.

Its mission “is to improve the financial condition of the Hispanic community through the delivery of affordable financial services and financial education programs specifically targeted to underserved Hispanic immigrants in North Carolina,” according to Web site.

To set up an account with LCCU, Latinos need a government-issued identification document from their country, legal proof of residency, a $20 membership fee and a $10 minimum deposit. And the bank offers accounts regardless of the status of the individual.

But LCCU is not a bank, it is a credit union and the difference is large. They are non-profits and are therefore able to offer more competitive interest rates and have lower fees. And everyone who is a member of the credit union has a stake in its ownership.

The LCCU Web site says, “Credit unions are different from other financial institutions. They believe that it is the fundamental right of all people to have access to loans and affordable financial services. The credit union movement is based on self-help, helping people help themselves.”

Sanchez says that LCCU is very excited to be coming to Carrboro, and although they don’t have an exact opening date they hope it will be within the first couple of weeks in April.

“We are very excited to open in Carrboro because it will give us a chance to help the Latino community and become involved in the community. The special thing about Carrboro is that it is very socially responsible and green. And there is a big need for the credit union because we can offer the Latinos affordable access to services and education,” said Sanchez.

Both El Centro Hispano and LCCU are looking forward to becoming part of Carrboro and getting to know and help the community get to know their Latino neighbors.

“It is important for Hispanics to learn the rules here, the system here, the culture here so that we can meet in the middle. It’s not just about the people accepting us, but also for us to accept the country we are living in,” said Rocha-Goldberg.

The credit union already has a space in Carrboro Plaza next to the Department of Motor Vehicles while El Centro Hispano is still in negotiations but would like to be as close to LCCU as possible.

“The idea was for us to open up with the credit union or around them, but it has been a challenge, but we are trying to find a building as soon as possible. We know how much the community needs it,” said Rocha-Goldberg.

The funding for the El Centro Hispano in Carrboro will mirror its sister branch in Durham, with the Durham board initially investing in the Carrboro center. The main source of income for El Centro Hispano in Durham comes through grant writing, although they also do fund-raising, and accrue income from the membership fees and paid classes that they offer, said Rocha-Goldberg.

The name of the new center in Carrboro will change to El Centro Hispano, but the partnership between members of El Centro Hispano and El Centro Latino will continue. Some of Latino’s board members will remain to unite Hispano with the community’s resources as will the previous volunteers.

“Some of their members will join the board so that they can share their ideas and knowledge of the area. They have been wonderful, very supportive and sending us wonderful connections and information,” said Rocha-Goldberg.

“We are ecstatic that they are coming-it is nothing but a win for the community. It is a collaboration built out of hard times that has come to fruition and the incredible people of El Centro Hispano will help us expand in ways we haven’t seen before,” said Torin Martinez, chair board of directors for El Centro Latino.

Welcome back: El Centro Hispano should be commended for bringing Latino community services back to Carrboro

El Centro Hispano, a Durham-based Latino advocacy nonprofit, deserves praise for pledging to help bring Latino community services back to Carrboro after the closing of El Centro Latino.

In order for the new branch of El Centro Hispano to be successful, it will need the support of our community in all forms.

El Centro Latino closed in November 2009 due to a decrease in grants and donations, economic struggles and leadership overturns.

The news of the closing has since caused great consternation amongst those involved with El Centro Latino, and many in the community have asked for a way to reopen the center.

At 6.3 percent, Latinos are a large portion of Orange County’s population and deserve a place that offers them valuable resources about the community in which they live.

El Centro Latino offered English classes and after-school tutoring. It was a valuable career resource to local Hispanic people.

El Centro Hispano is known for its wide variety of programs and focus on advocacy. It also offers health programs, legal and tax services and more educational classes.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 46.9 million Hispanics in the United States in 2008. This number is set to almost triple by 2050 — at which point they are projected to constitute 30 percent of the U.S. population.

These figures can only help to clarify just how important it is that Carrboro and surrounding areas have a place for Latinos to be able to better equip themselves to deal with the pressures of society.

Orange County is aware enough to be socially open to the changing demographics and is looking to be proactive by educating its residents.

Carrboro and Chapel Hill need El Centro Hispano, which in turn needs the support of the community.