Providing Services to Non-English Speaking

Asian American Litigants

Karin Wang, Asian Pacific American Legal CenterMarch 2006

Challenges

Challenge - Demographics

• California has the nation’s greatest language diversity– 224 languages spoken– 40% speak a language other than English at home

• Many Californians face English language barriers– More than 6 million (20%) do not speak English

very well

• California’s growth is driven by immigration– 44% of Latinos & 62% of Asian Americans are

foreign-born

Challenge - Demographics

• AA/PIs have significant language barriers– Many speak language other than English at

home• 79% of AA/PIs overall (18% of US population)

– Many speak English less than very well• 43% of AA/PIs overall, but 63% of Vietnamese, 57%

of Cambodians, 52% of Bangladeshi (8% of US population)

– Many are linguistically isolated• 30% of AA/PI households overall, but 47% of

Korean, 45% of Vietnamese (5% of US population)

Challenge - Demographics

• There is a strong correlation between high LEP rates & high poverty rates– Hmong: 61% LEP, 53% poverty– Cambodians: 56% LEP, 40% poverty– Overall California: 20% LEP, 14% poverty

Challenge - Fear andLack of Knowledge

• Many immigrants and refugees– Fear anything perceived to be a

government agency – Lack familiarity with American legal

concepts – Lack knowledge of legal aid providers,

self-help centers

Challenge - Lack of Resources

• Insufficient funding at all levels• Lack of competent interpreters (ie,

not enough trained legal interpreters)

• Lack of sufficient human capital in many communities (eg, very small or newly emerging groups)

ALLIP

ALLIP - Basics

• ALLIP: Asian Language Legal Intake Project• 4 languages: Cambodian, Chinese

(Cantonese/Mandarin), Korean, Vietnamese

• 4 partners:– Asian Pacific American Legal Center– Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles– Neighborhood Legal Services– Legal Aid Society of Orange County

ALLIP - Mission & Goals

• Mission: Provide centralized intake, advice & referral in 4 Asian languages

• Goals:– Eliminate language as initial barrier to access– Provide single point of entry for legal

assistance– Expand capacity of partner legal aids by

increasing attorney staffing to take cases– Coordinate outreach among partners

Keys to Success

Principles of Successful Programs

• Establish clear vision from the top• Create strong partnerships between legal

aid/court program & community organizations

• Engage in active outreach & education• Provide sufficient staffing• Provide single point of entry• Use self-help to complement other services• Utilize technology

Contact Information

Karin Wang, Vice-President, Programs213/977-7500 x234kwang@apalc.org

Juliet Stone, Supervising Attorney213/977-7500 x344jstone@apalc.org

Asian Pacific American Legal Center: www.apalc.orgALLIP: www.apalc.org/allip