Author Topic: U.S. sides against Hawaii in English-only lawsuit  (Read 476 times)

Dos Equis

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U.S. sides against Hawaii in English-only lawsuit
« on: March 28, 2014, 04:58:03 PM »
Don't agree with this at all.  How are these people supposed to read street signs if they cannot read English? 

U.S. sides against Hawaii in English-only lawsuit
By Jennifer Sinco Kelleher
Associated Press
POSTED: 09:09 a.m. HST, Mar 28, 2014
LAST UPDATED: 12:51 p.m. HST, Mar 28, 2014

The U.S. Department of Justice is supporting a lawsuit alleging Hawaii discriminates against those who struggle with English by making it too difficult to obtain a driver's license.

Allegations in the lawsuit are sufficient to proceed with a discrimination claim, and the court should deny the state's motion to dismiss the case, the Justice Department said in court documents filed Thursday.

The federal government has a "critical interest" in ensuring the Hawaii Department of Transportation provides those with limited English proficiency a "meaningful opportunity" to take the driver's license test, the filing said.

The lawsuit filed last year by Faith Action for Community Equity is based on Hawaii offering the exam only in English. However, the Transportation Department last week began offering the test in 12 other languages: Tagalog, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Samoan, Tongan, Ilocano, Spanish, Chuukese, Marshallese and Hawaiian.

Plaintiffs' attorneys say that's not enough for the lawsuit to go away because other issues remain, including road testing issues and a lack of translations for educational materials such as the Hawaii driver's manual.

A report by the group behind the lawsuit said Hawaii was one of only five states that offered the driver's license test only in English.

"It's unusual to have an English-only policy," said Gavin Thornton, deputy director of the Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice. "For Hawaii, it really doesn't make any sense at all given the diversity of our population. We have one of the most diverse populations in the nation."

He noted Kentucky offers 22 different translations, while Hawaii has a much higher immigrant population.

Transportation Department spokeswoman Caroline Sluyter said more than 100 people already have taken the test in languages other than English. The state attorney general's office didn't immediately comment.

The Department of Justice filing acknowledges the state's Feb. 14 news release announcing translated exams would be available this month.

"Issuing a press release is not sufficient evidence that the translated exams are actually being provided or that translations will not cease again thus plaintiffs maintain a claim for release," the Justice Department filing said.

The lawsuit claims that challenges for those with limited English skills in obtaining a driver's license hinder access to needs such as employment, education and health care.

It cites as an example plaintiff Tochiro Kochiro Kovac, a citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia who moved from Chuuk to Maui in 2008. Kovac "commutes to and from work using several buses for a total of five hours a day, approximately four hours more than he would if he were able to drive," the DOJ said.

The state's "refusal to provide interpreter services for driver's license exams discriminates against non-English speaking people," Claire Wong Black, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys said Friday. "We are pleased to have the DOJ's support."

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/20140328_Feds_side_against_state_in_Englishonly_drivers_license_lawsuit.html

George Whorewell

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Re: U.S. sides against Hawaii in English-only lawsuit
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2014, 05:20:36 PM »
The test should also be offered in Ebonics, Spanglish, Urdu, Swahili, Sanskrit and Squirrel.

RRKore

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Re: U.S. sides against Hawaii in English-only lawsuit
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2014, 05:52:08 PM »
Don't agree with this at all.  How are these people supposed to read street signs if they cannot read English? 

U.S. sides against Hawaii in English-only lawsuit
By Jennifer Sinco Kelleher
Associated Press
POSTED: 09:09 a.m. HST, Mar 28, 2014
LAST UPDATED: 12:51 p.m. HST, Mar 28, 2014

The U.S. Department of Justice is supporting a lawsuit alleging Hawaii discriminates against those who struggle with English by making it too difficult to obtain a driver's license.

Allegations in the lawsuit are sufficient to proceed with a discrimination claim, and the court should deny the state's motion to dismiss the case, the Justice Department said in court documents filed Thursday.

The federal government has a "critical interest" in ensuring the Hawaii Department of Transportation provides those with limited English proficiency a "meaningful opportunity" to take the driver's license test, the filing said.

The lawsuit filed last year by Faith Action for Community Equity is based on Hawaii offering the exam only in English. However, the Transportation Department last week began offering the test in 12 other languages: Tagalog, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Samoan, Tongan, Ilocano, Spanish, Chuukese, Marshallese and Hawaiian.

Plaintiffs' attorneys say that's not enough for the lawsuit to go away because other issues remain, including road testing issues and a lack of translations for educational materials such as the Hawaii driver's manual.

A report by the group behind the lawsuit said Hawaii was one of only five states that offered the driver's license test only in English.

"It's unusual to have an English-only policy," said Gavin Thornton, deputy director of the Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice. "For Hawaii, it really doesn't make any sense at all given the diversity of our population. We have one of the most diverse populations in the nation."

He noted Kentucky offers 22 different translations, while Hawaii has a much higher immigrant population.

Transportation Department spokeswoman Caroline Sluyter said more than 100 people already have taken the test in languages other than English. The state attorney general's office didn't immediately comment.

The Department of Justice filing acknowledges the state's Feb. 14 news release announcing translated exams would be available this month.

"Issuing a press release is not sufficient evidence that the translated exams are actually being provided or that translations will not cease again thus plaintiffs maintain a claim for release," the Justice Department filing said.

The lawsuit claims that challenges for those with limited English skills in obtaining a driver's license hinder access to needs such as employment, education and health care.

It cites as an example plaintiff Tochiro Kochiro Kovac, a citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia who moved from Chuuk to Maui in 2008. Kovac "commutes to and from work using several buses for a total of five hours a day, approximately four hours more than he would if he were able to drive," the DOJ said.

The state's "refusal to provide interpreter services for driver's license exams discriminates against non-English speaking people," Claire Wong Black, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys said Friday. "We are pleased to have the DOJ's support."

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/20140328_Feds_side_against_state_in_Englishonly_drivers_license_lawsuit.html


One doesn't need much English proficiency at all to drive safely.   

One needs to be quite proficient in English to make sense of the average state's English language written test and corresponding drivers' handbook.  Folks that are here that don't speak English that well are going to drive no matter -- to not be able to drive in many areas of the US is a serious handicap -- It makes good sense for each state to offer the handbook and written test in foreign languages if a significant number of folks in that state speak that language.  Making 'em pay a surcharge for the privilege is fine, though, I think.

George Whorewell

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Re: U.S. sides against Hawaii in English-only lawsuit
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2014, 06:05:48 PM »
I disagree. The exam and all street signs should be written in English, braille, sign language+ every single foreign language spoken by the residents of Hawaii.

America is a land of immigrants and we should try our best to accommodate everyone.

Dos Equis

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Re: U.S. sides against Hawaii in English-only lawsuit
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2014, 06:13:41 PM »
I disagree. The exam and all street signs should be written in English, braille, sign language+ every single foreign language spoken by the residents of Hawaii.

America is a land of immigrants and we should try our best to accommodate everyone.

 ;D