How prepared you are for the next big storm might have something to do with the language you speak
Greater Houston has long been celebrated as one of the most diverse metropolitan areas in America, and Houston as one of the most diverse large cities in the country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 145 languages are spoken here. And, while most Houstonians speak English, not everybody does, and even multi-lingual Houstonians in some cases have limited English proficiency.
So, when Beryl tore through Houston last month, how many of them knew that a disaster was on their doorstep? Did messages about preparing for the hurricane get through? And could such efforts be better in advance of the next big emergency the Houston area may face?
Humberta, a business owner who’s shop is located in the Azteca Farmers Market, shares how she didn’t even know that Hurricane Beryl was going to hit Houston. She is one of nearly half a million Houstonians who have little or no English proficiency.
Days after the storm made landfall, William White, director of the Houston chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a call for increased language access in communications by city and county government offices about recovery efforts from the storm and emergency warnings to the broader community. While the City of Houston and Harris County put out lots of emergency resources in English and Spanish — a lot of resources and outreach efforts never get translated into languages like Arabic or Somali.
Alain Cisneros is the campaigns director for Fiel, an immigrant-led civil rights organization based in Houston. He says that while there is a lot of information out in Spanish, officials must also take cultural relevance in to consideration so that non-English speaking populations can fully understand the messaging. Cisneros also calls for a shift in the approach to interpretation at the city and to not treat it as an afterthought.
Given the lack of communication for many Houstonians, is it time to rethink how we define public safety in conversations around the budget at the county and city?
Steven Wu is the the Organizing and Policy Director at Woori Juntos, a grassroots organization that works to empower Asian and Latinx immigrants. He says that in the wake of a storm, many agree that money should be spent on things like generators at community centers and senior living facilities. But, with priority given to policing, there is little money left for increased language outreach that’s vital to protect all lives in the region.
Houston City Council Member Julian Ramirez also recently recently had a budget amendment pass to fund a language access coordinator position to enhance outreach on emergency services and other public safety information.
-BBC
