Why Language Matters.
This is Language POWER: Approaching Language Justice from Within. A web documentary on Language Justice through the experience and perspectives of underrepresented linguistic communities from the core of South America to the north of Vermont.
The power dynamics in language can be shifted from language as a historical tool for oppression, to language as a tool for empowerment, identity embrace, and cultural revitalization.
From a doctor's appointment to the classroom, from commuting to grocery shopping, from the north to the south, inside and out... language matters.
More than 46 million people in the United States do not speak English as their primary language, and more than 21 million speak English less than “very well.”
US Census Bureau. DP-2. Profile of Selected Social Characteristics: 2000.
What is Language Justice?
Language Justice refers to the concept of empowering individuals with consciousness regarding their language access rights and language access services.
According to the American Bar Association, Language Justice is an "evolving framework focused on the notion of respecting every individual’s fundamental language rights—to be able to communicate, understand, and be understood in the language in which they prefer and feel most articulate and powerful." (ABA, 2020)
Language Justice rejects the idea that any language is superior to others, a concept known as language supremacy, recognizes how language has and continues to be a tool for oppression, and acknowledges that it is also a crucial element in exercising autonomy and advancing racial and social justice.
Language Justice determines the future of people. The big three of Language Justice include healthcare, education, and legal services. However, Language Justice goes beyond that. From finding an attorney, evaluating medical processes, and participating in the classroom, to buying groceries, commuting, and creating meaningful friendships, language should never be a barrier.
The American Bar Association highlights how "inadequate communication in any aspect of accessing the justice system can have serious consequences," putting people at a life-changing disadvantage. The ABA describes Language Justice as a commitment to ensuring individuals are not marginalized based on national origin, ethnicity, and language, giving meaningful and equal access to services, remedies, and justice overall.
When talking about Language Justice, we cannot forget sign languages, as languages can be spoken or signed, Indigenous languages, which are at the core of language erasure in colonization and history, leading to the concept of language supremacy, and remembering that even among English speakers, there can be linguistic discrimination based on dialects, variations, and even accents. One example would be the bias and prejudice against African American English in the United States.
Why YOU should care.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2019
