Submitted by: Lake County Build a Generation | Presented in Spanish with English interpretation

In our communities, many people do remarkable things yet go unrecognized due to language barriers. This gap is underscored by deeply meaningful, untranslatable words in many languages. Language oppression leads to shame, loneliness and discrimination, silencing voices because of accents, pronunciation and lack of access. Our presentation will address these issues, illustrating how language fosters empathy and demonstrating that linguistic justice extends beyond mere translation.

Presenters: 

•  Luisa Porras, Communication and Evaluation Coordinator, Lake County Build a Generation
•  Clara Wilson, Director of Community Impact, Lake County Build a Generation

Objectives:

• Create a shared understanding and rewrite narratives of the oppressive experiences of non-English speakers.
• Demonstrate the importance of prioritizing language justice work through lived experience and storytelling.
• Identify ways to begin or expand on authentic and meaningful language justice work.