I’ve worked as a translator and interpreter for nearly two decades. One thing people outside this field often miss: language access isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s infrastructure.
That’s why current efforts to make English the official language, rolling back translation and interpretation services across federal agencies, are deeply concerning. In my work across healthcare, legal, public, and private sectors, I’ve seen how quickly trust collapses when people can’t understand what’s happening to them.
After English and Spanish, some of the most widely spoken languages in the U.S. include Chinese, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Nearly half of Asian immigrants have limited English proficiency. Add Spanish, Arabic, Haitian Creole, and dozens of other language communities, and we’re talking about millions of people who contribute to the American economy, culture, and neighborhoods.
Cutting language access means:
Patients unable to understand medical diagnoses
Families locked out of disaster assistance
Workers unable to report workplace violations
Communities excluded from civic participation
But here’s what’s even more worrying: lack of reliable, accessible information makes populations more susceptible to misinformation.
Last week, I attended an event where asylum seekers shared their stories. They described how the absence of good, reliable information in their languages is convincing legal immigrants and lawful asylum seekers that they ARE illegal. Even when they have pending asylum cases. Even when they’ve done everything “the right way.”
The absence of good, reliable information in their languages is convincing legal immigrants and lawful asylum seekers that they ARE illegal.
When you cut language access, you create an information vacuum, and that gets filled with fear, rumors, and scams.
The proposed Language Access for All Act of 2026 would establish language-specific staffing requirements and accountability measures across federal agencies.
What you can do:
Call your representative and ask them to co-sponsor the Language Access for All Act of 2026. You don’t need to be a citizen to contact your rep. If you live in their district, they represent you. If you’re in NY-06 (Rep. Grace Meng), CA-28 (Rep. Judy Chu), NY-10 (Rep. Dan Goldman), or CA-52 (Rep. Juan Vargas), thank them for introducing this legislation.
Find your representative: house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
Share this. Talk about it. Amplify the voices of people directly impacted. Support organizations doing language justice work, like Respond Crisis Translation (wonderful org that I already volunteer with) or Language Justice Collaborative.
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