Senators Urge Biden Administration to Improve Language Access and Disaster Recovery in Puerto Rico

Strategic Insights -

As Puerto Rico begins the process of rebuilding and recovering from the devastating impact of Hurricane Fiona, US Senator Bob Menendez and Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez are leading a bicameral effort to urge the Biden Administration to improve language access and disaster recovery in the island. The lawmakers are concerned about the accessibility and availability of federal relief applications, documentation, and other materials in Spanish, and are requesting that federal agencies ensure all applications for assistance and resources are correctly translated in Spanish and make available adequate Spanish-speaking employees.

Key Takeaways:

  • The United States Commission on Civil Rights issued a report that found language access was a significant issue in accessing federal assistance for survivors of both Hurricanes Maria and Harvey.
  • FEMA did not have enough Spanish-speaking employees to accommodate the Island, leading to delays in aid, and even after documents had been translated into Spanish, they were often inaccurate and confusing.
  • Lawmakers are urging the Biden Administration to review all Spanish documents and resources for accuracy, especially in light of the recent hurricanes, and prioritize increasing fluent Spanish-speaking staff to provide residents with comprehensive and timely assistance.
  • Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) are critical in helping survivors access disaster assistance programs, understand written correspondence, and learn of federal grant opportunities to make their homes more resilient.
  • Establishing more DRCs will help ensure a more equitable recovery of the island, especially considering that many residents do not have electricity or lack computer technology to access the internet.
  • Almost a quarter of the Puerto Rican population is over the age of 65, and may have limited, if any, computer literacy, making DRCs essential for access to federal resources and services.

Statistics:

  • 25% of the Puerto Rican population is over the age of 65 and may have limited, if any, computer literacy.
  • FEMA did not have enough Spanish-speaking employees to accommodate the Island, leading to delays in aid.
  • The Commission on Civil Rights received testimony that even after documents had been translated into Spanish, they were often inaccurate and confusing.
  • The lawmakers are urging the Biden Administration to review all Spanish documents and resources for accuracy, especially in light of the recent hurricanes.

Sources:

  • [1] United States Commission on Civil Rights report
  • [2] Statistics about the Puerto Rican population, particularly the percentage of residents over 65.