Vietnamese becomes official language in San Francisco
Báo Tuổi Trẻ•13/06/2024
According to the vote results on June 11, Vietnamese will become one of the official languages of the city of San Francisco (USA).
San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Shamann Walton speaks on June 11, recognizing Vietnamese as an official language in San Francisco (USA) - Photo: San Francisco Chronicle
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the move by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is part of an effort to expand English-language services to the nearly 6,800 people who primarily speak Vietnamese in the city. Since 2001, San Francisco has enacted a language access ordinance. This is a measure to help residents receive services in the language they are most comfortable with. English will be translated into these languages in city services, and the old ordinance applied to communities with at least 10,000 people who are not fluent in English. The previous list of official languages in San Francisco included Chinese, Spanish, and Filipino. However, the June 11 adjustment lowered the threshold from 10,000 to 6,000. Meanwhile, in San Francisco, there are 6,791 people who primarily speak Vietnamese, which means they have reached the threshold required to make Vietnamese an official language. The move means the city will provide interpretation, announcements, and web documents in Vietnamese. For those who support the move, the latest change is a necessary step in addressing language access challenges. It also serves as a reminder to comply with language assistance regulations for immigrants, as some have complained about city staff not providing services in Spanish. Promoting services in languages other than English is seen as important to meet the need for equitable access to benefits and welfare for immigrants, who still have difficulty accessing services in San Francisco.
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