To combat COVID-19 information gaps, Latino leaders and Spanish media ‘work double’
José Hernández-París noticed the questions spike in mid-March, between Mecklenburg’s first confirmed case of COVID-19 and the subsequent order for residents to stay home to slow its spread.
Hernández-París, executive director of the Latin American Coalition, said the organization, whose typical work involves immigration, economic mobility and workers’ rights, was flooded with questions about the developing coronavirus pandemic.
Understanding the rapidly-changing information is crucial to public health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders in the Latino community and Spanish-language journalists say. But despite a recent increase in translated material and outreach by local leaders, it’s still a challenge to provide timely and accurate updates to immigrant communities and others with limited English abilities.
Hernández-París said there is often a lag between breaking news about the number of cases or government “stay-at-home” orders and when officials provide translated material.
“A lot of these orders are very ‘whereas, whereas’ legalese and very difficult to understand. Even in English, at times, you have to read it two or three times and you’re really not quite sure what it meant,” Hernández-París said. “We realized that for the non-English-speaking community, even though there were some summaries provided, there were a lot of gaps in information.”
The coalition marshaled its resources to focus on COVID-19 response and launched a help line at 980-320-3743 to answer coronavirus questions staffed 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. They also answer questions on their social media platforms and by email, info@mylac.org.
Undocumented immigrants, who Hernández-París said are particularly at risk for withheld wages because they are often paid in cash, have questions about evictions and immigration enforcement during the pandemic. Others ask about health care best practices or where to find food distribution sites.
Spanish is the most common language spoken in Mecklenburg County other than English, according to U.S. Census data. Estimates show about 41,000 Spanish-speaking households have limited English abilities, as well as another 38,000 limited-English households where another language is spoken.
‘A voice in their language’
Mecklenburg leaders have added multi-lingual resources as the pandemic has progressed, including copies of its stay at home order in Spanish, Russian, French, Hindi, Arabic and several other languages.
There are also flyers in Spanish about frequently asked public health questions and safe handwashing practices. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police recently hosted a Facebook live in Spanish with the health department.
Lester Oliva, a paramedic and spokesman for Medic, has appeared on Spanish media about the pandemic. He said hears questions about the stay-at-home order from people wondering if their job is deemed essential, including those in food service, hospitality and construction.
“There are some in a Spanish community who have a fear and distress of government officials, people in uniform,” Oliva said. “So having a voice that talks to them in their language, we assure them that the intent of the law is not to stop you and throw you in jail or fine you, the intent is to keep people at home.”
The county’s call center has Spanish-speaking operators and uses a translation service for callers who speak other languages, Oliva said.
Making sure all residents get accurate information crucial to minimize the exposure risk for himself and other first responders on the front lines of the virus response, he said.
Hernández-París, of the Latin American Coalition, said he’d like to expand his organization’s help line to languages other than Spanish, but admitted the challenge to keep up with demand was already “like changing a tire while the car is rolling.”
‘We have to work double’
Sylvia Oben, a reporter for Telemundo Charlotte since 2018, said she constantly hears from viewers wondering if they can still go to work, if they are eligible for the federal stimulus efforts and other virus-related questions.
The station’s coverage area includes several counties around Mecklenburg, and Oben said the availability of information is Spanish is inconsistent across government agencies. Often, public officials available for interviews can only do them in English, she said.
Readership of La Noticia, the largest Spanish-language newspaper in the state, has quadrupled recently, Publisher Hilda Gurdian wrote in an email. The added translation work means journalists reporting in Spanish “have to work double” the already bruising pace of their colleagues publishing in English, she said.
“We have been working long hours in the day and many hours in the nights, seven days a week trying to keep up with this fast moving coronavirus news and its translations,” she wrote.
But, questions keep coming.
In addition to daily broadcasts, Oben uses social media to interact with Telemundo viewers, including translating updates on Facebook and hosting quizzes on Instagram to test followers about their COVID-19 knowledge.
“I feel blessed to be a tool to help people,” Oben said.
Recursos sobre el COVID-19 en Mecklenburg
- Visita a mecknc.gov/covid-19 para informacion y recursos en español
- Línea de ‘quedarse en casa’ en Mecklenburg: 704-353-1926
- La Coalición Latinoamericana tiene una línea directa de asistencia en español: 980-320-3743 o latinamericancoalition.org/helpline
- La Noticia, lanoticia.com/tag/coronavirus/
- Telemundo Charlotte, wsoctv.com/news/telemundo/
- Hola News, holanews.com
- Que Pasa/Mi Gente, https://charlotte.quepasanoticias.com/
This work was made possible in part by grant funding from Report for America/GroundTruth Project and the Foundation For The Carolinas.
%20Cropped.jpg)