Hispanic Heritage Month begins September 15th. Why is this commemorative month unique in beginning not on the first, but midway through the month? The desire was to create a month that would encompass the dates that many Latin American countries declared independence from Spain, as well as the date that, for better or worse, the Spanish came in contact with the Americas, October 12, 1492. In fact, you could win some trivia one day if you know that Mexico actually declared its independence from Spain on September 16th and not May 5th!
Speaking of trivia, it may be helpful to remember this month that Spanish settlement of this hemisphere began before the English ever arrived. The Spanish were in Puerto Rico in 1508, and they founded the first permanent European settlement in the United States at St. Augustine, Florida in 1565. Closer to home, Pennsylvania has the 14th largest Hispanic population in the United States, Lancaster County is 11.5% Latino and in the city of Lancaster, around 2 in 5 residents are Hispanic. A number equal to about three-quarters of those Hispanics speak Spanish occasionally or often. About half of the students of the School District of Lancaster speak Spanish at home.
So, what better time than Hispanic Heritage month to focus on why it’s important for our local learning communities to reach out to the Spanish-speaking population of central Pennsylvania? Knowing that our Latino families are an important part of our present and our future, Your Language Connection’s Spanish interpreters welcome many of them to school registrations, open houses, and parent-teacher conferences. Our translators continually update their knowledge of the education systems of various Spanish-speaking countries and they ensure that academic records are carefully rendered in ways that are intelligible to educators working in the American system. Our team also works to train educators in the different expectations parents sometimes have in coming from other countries, and also general strategies for working with the Limited English Proficient.
In addition to our work in the education sector, Your Language Connection linguists assist Hispanics in many ways that improve their health and general well-being. Our translators and interpreters help ensure moms-to-be are equipped with the knowledge to bring healthy babies into the world. We assist with physical and occupational therapy. Our interpreters often accompany the Latino community to check-ups with dentists and eye doctors. Since we’re also local, many of us witness first hand the dedicated work that the Lancaster medical community provides to all of our neighbors, and we’re proud to partner with so many dedicated professionals.
We understand that schools and health centers have many options to turn to for interpreting for the Hispanic community, but we’re proud to be the number one choice for those providers that are looking to contract caring, local linguists to help serve and empower this important population that enriches the lives of us all here in central Pennsylvania. We invite you to check us out if you’re looking to learn more about how we can help your community of learners and healers connect with Hispanics in Harrisburg, Lebanon, Lancaster or surrounding areas.