More than 100 immigrants and advocates rallied at the state Capitol on Thursday, urging lawmakers to fund better access to language services, especially in the aftermath of the Aug. 8 wildfires on Maui.
Lahaina resident Cecilia Lagunas immigrated from Mexico more than 20 years ago. She said that the scarcity of resources and language barriers posed a challenge in receiving information on Maui's recovery efforts.
"After the fires, we grappled with accessing and qualifying for resources that could help mend our broken lives," Lagunas said in Spanish through an interpreter. "There are so many of us that did not qualify for assistance to help us replace all that we've lost."
Next week will mark six months since the fire, and many of Lahaina's immigrant communities still face the dilemma of deciding whether to wait and rebuild or leave their homes forever.
Filipinos comprised 40% of Lahaina, while Latinos made up 11%, according to the 2020 census.
The multilingual community has stepped up to provide interpreters and translators in numerous languages. Still, volunteers say they're exhausted, according to Veronica Medoza-Jachowski, the executive director of Roots Reborn Lahaina.
"We've hit a wall," she said. "We're drained and we're emotional."
Mendoza-Jachowski also said they've struggled with retention rates due to being volunteer-based and the high demands for language interpreters.
"The best thing that we can do is incentivize folks to help us because there are people who want to help us and can help us, but they can't keep doing it for free," she said.
In 2006, the Legislature passed a language access law to ensure that people with limited English proficiency have access to state-funded services.
However, Sen. Henry Aquino of Oʻahu said there needs to be more compliance.
"It's something that's very important because this law has been on the books for such a long time," he said
The Filipino Caucus introduced several bills that would address language barriers.
Senate Bill 2781 would fund a full-time language access coordinator within the Hawai'i Emergency Management Agency.
Another measure would provide additional staff and program funds to allow the Office of Community Services to establish an immigration service and access unit.
Additionally, Senate Bill 2782 would require the Office of Enterprise Technology to develop standards for multilingual accessibility.
The bills have until Feb. 15 to pass out of their first committees.
