Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Language Access Cultural Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Advocates urge expanded language access and culturally specific services for immigrant survivors
Summary
Multiple community organizations told the council language barriers and insufficient culturally competent services prevent immigrant survivors from seeking help; advocates requested city partnership to fund interpreters, bilingual therapists and referral pathways to culturally specific providers.
Community organizations that specialize in immigrant and culturally specific survivor services urged the City Council to fund language access, culturally competent training and sustained partnerships with community‑based providers.
"Boston is home to one of the largest limited‑English‑proficiency populations in the country," Dawn Salma, co‑executive director of the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence, said. She said many Asian language groups fall below thresholds used to require translated materials at scale, leaving survivors without information in their language.
Panelists described front‑line practice: culturally specific programs deliver trauma‑informed, in‑language services (hotlines, case management, legal referrals and shelter placements). Sahili, for example, said it serves roughly 300 women and children annually, with a client base roughly 80 percent South Asian and 20 percent Arabic speakers; the group highlighted that about 7 percent of its clients have very low literacy even in their native language, intensifying access barriers.
Advocates urged the council to create real‑time referral pathways between first responders (police, hospital staff, and courts) and trusted culturally specific providers, expand funding for bilingual and culturally competent therapists and victim advocates, and embed language access in Family Justice Center and courthouse processes.
"Without information in their language, victims struggle to understand their legal rights, apply for benefits, or access health care," Salma said. Panelists also recommended disaggregated data collection by race, ethnicity and language so the city can identify underserved populations and target outreach.
Panelists said prevention and education must be culturally tailored and carried out in community settings (libraries, faith centers, salons, colleges) and in schools. They urged the council to support capacity building, joint outreach campaigns, and sustained funding for culturally specific nonprofits rather than one‑time grants.
