Santa Clara County is lacking needed translation services [Video]

In a region that speaks roughly 100 languages, non-English speakers often find themselves unable to follow Santa Clara County government meetings. That might finally change.   

The problem was on painful display last week, when the $11 billion agency had no one on hand to simultaneously interpret the April 16 Board of Supervisors discussion about the closure of East San Jose‘s only trauma unit at Regional Medical Center. 

The hospital has been a lifeline for uninsured Latino residents on the east side, many of whom only speak Spanish. At the meeting, county doctors and hospital leaders only spoke in English about the life-threatening consequences of the trauma center’s closure.   

There was an interpreter translating public comments from Spanish to English during the meeting, but monolingual Spanish speakers could not understand the discussion among officials because the county requires a formal request for that service.   

Community organizer and San Jose resident Gabriel Manrique said the county was inexcusably unprepared.   

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