Where every language finds its voice
In 2016, the Language Justice Collaborative (formerly Language Access Coalition) was formed to enhance and broaden NYC's language access policy, uniting African Communities Together, the Asian American Federation, MASA, and the New York Immigration Coalition. Focused on languages of limited diffusion, the coalition advocates for immigrant language accessibility.
What We Do
Language Policy Expansion
We advocate for legislation mandating the translation of state and city services into multiple languages.
Worker Co-ops Support
We empower immigrants through business ownership for economic uplift. Following AfriLingual's success, our next campaign funds co-ops for Asian and indigenous Latin American LLDs.
Community Interpreter Banks
We offer cost-effective solutions to enhance telephonic interpretation, ensuring precise and sensitive support for complex legal services.
Championing Change through Dynamic Campaigns
Language Justice Collaborative: Advocating for Change in NY
Through strategic campaigns, we have successfully executed legislation on both the state and city levels to ensure linguistic rights are protected and upheld. Our work has resulted in tangible changes that benefit linguistic minorities and marginalized communities. Join us in our efforts to create a more inclusive and equitable society for all.
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In 2016, New York’s Language Access policy, included among its “top six Limited English Proficient languages” Russian, Korean, Bengali, and Haitian Creole, it did not include French, Arabic or any of the indigenous languages spoken by African New Yorkers. Read more
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New York State took an important step toward expanding language access when Governor Cuomo signed Executive Order No. 26 in 2011, which orders all executive State agencies to translate vital documents into the six most common state languages (“statewide languages of translation”) and to offer interpretation services to individuals in their primary language. Read more
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While New York City took an important step toward expanding language access in 2017 with passage of the Language Access Policy (Local Law 30), there are still significant barriers to language access for New York’s immigrant communities, particularly those who speak languages of limited diffusion (LLDs). LLDs include African languages, many Asian languages, and indigenous Latin American languages. Read more
Worker Co-ops
One successfully incorporated worker Co-op - ACT - Afrilingual, LLC.
LJC Victories!
Engaged Community Members
5,495 community members were engaged in FY 23
Interpretation and asylum related support
982 translations and interpretation requests went to 16 city agencies and CBOs
Languages represented
Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Korean, Urdu, French, Wolof, Fulani, Mandingo/Bambara/Dioula, Ewe/Mina, Moore, Mixteco, Tlapaneco, Zapoteco, Nahuatl, Kichwa, Mam and Spanish
Trainings/Workshops
106 trainings/workshops were held, with over 345 hours completed, focused in the areas of business development, legal, finance, marketing, co-op development training, bookkeeping, ITIN, tax, digital literacy, ESOL, interpretation, trauma-informed interpreting, and medical interpreting
Surveys
200 community members who speak languages of limited diffusion were surveyed