On Feb. 27 the Asian American Institude of Research and Engagement (AAIRE) completed a study that found Asian Americans on Long Island face difficulty accessing essential services because of language barriers.
The study was completed in conjunction with the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University and found that over 58% of Asian Americans on Long Island experience difficulty with language barriers. In addition, 90.9% of respondents said a immediate family member has had difficulty accessing essential services. Having language barriers meant Asian-American Long Islanders with many issues from accessing emergency services such as police to understanding voting. The study also recommends increasing diversity in classrooms and professions as a way to have Asian-American mentors who understand the language in positions to help those who have difficulty accessing services.
“There’s something called the model minority,” said AAIRE Director Farrah Mozawalla. “People think Asians are generally among the wealthiest, well-educated minorities. This model minority myth makes it difficult for Asians to get the resources they need.”
Mozawalla previously worked for former Nassau County Executive Laura Curren and noticed there was a lack of organizations that specifically catered to the needs of the Asian community in Nassau County.
It is becoming more imperative than ever that the rhetoric around Asian-Americans not needing assistance changes. The Asian population in Nassau County rose from 6% in 2010 to 13% in 2020. And by 2050, Asians are expected to be the largest minority in the United States, making up potentially as much as 36% of the population. according to the Center for Suburban Studies.
The study found that the main issues Asian-Americans faced was language barriers. The study also laid out five potential solutions that AAIRE plans to advocate to help bridge the gap in awareness for Asian-Americans.
The study finds the biggest way the language barrier has affected people on Long Island is in health care and essential services. As many as half of respondents reported they had difficulty accessing these services. Language barriers in health care reportedly made it difficult for respondents to use use insurance and schedule appointments.
“Now with AI technology it should be easy to use Google Translate, and translate medical documents and insurance into people’s native languages,” said Mozawalla.
The study indicates if this is done in conjunction with increasing intercultural translation programs and investing in diverse interpreters into the five main Asian languages spoken on Long Island, people will be able to access these services.
Another crucial area the study focused on was how the language barrier affected voting trends among Asian-Americans. The study found many who dealt with a language barrier did not feel properly prepared for the process of voting or knew enough about the candidates in local elections despite being registered voters.
“It comes down to that federal elections are being covered and the local ones are not,” said Mozawalla. “They don’t understand the different processes, they don’t understand the councils and positions. There so many different elections on Long Island that an average person without language barriers might understand.”
According to the study, 88% of local candidates who use ethnic media, or media distributed in native languages, win their election on Long Island.
AAIRE hopes the findings in the study can spark language legislative changes to benefit the Asian community on Long Island.
“Right now we are just trying to create awareness about the study,” said Mozawalla. “We’re hoping soon to collaborate with other organizations that work towards language access reform and make a real change soon.”
