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Marshallese community asks Spokane City Council for space and language access supports
Summary
Leaders of Spokane’s Marshallese community told the City Council they need a dedicated space and improved language access to obtain IDs and city services, and asked the council to continue translation and outreach work.
Members of Spokane’s Marshallese community asked the City Council June 23 for a dedicated local space and improved language access to city services and documents.
Luke Hoban, president of the Spokane Marshallese community, told the council the community has grown since 2005 and is now one of the largest Marshallese communities in the United States; he said members face barriers obtaining state identification and driver’s licenses because of unfamiliarity with Compact of Free Association citizenship rules and that Marshallese-language services are limited.
"We also want to acknowledge that the land holds the spirit of the place… We are grateful to be on the shared lands of the Spokane people," Hoban said during opening remarks; later he asked the council for help "in finding a dedicated space where our people can come in, get help with these services and benefits, as we continue to work and improve language access." He said the community is committed to partnering with the city but cannot do it alone.
Council President Pro Tem Dillon noted he had shared contact information and said Council member Cathcart had been working on translating city documents. Cathcart told Hoban that the council had heard similar priorities during listening sessions and that "there is action coming on that." The council encouraged Hoban to reach out to his district council members for direct assistance.
The council took no formal vote on the request during the meeting. Councilors treated the presentation as a community report and directed staff-level follow-up through district contacts and existing translation efforts rather than adopting new legislation at the hearing.
Key clarifications provided in the meeting: Hoban asked for assistance with ID access tied to the Compact of Free Association; councilors said translation work and document accessibility efforts are already underway and invited the Marshallese community to continue engagement with district staff.
The council did not set a timeline or commit funds during the presentation; speakers said next steps would be contact and coordination between community leaders and district council members or city staff.
