Gov. Linda Lingle’s State of the State address will be translated into six languages to increase public access to state information. In addition to English, the text of the address will be available in Chinese, Japanese, Ilokano, Tagalog, Hawaiian and
Gov. Linda Lingle’s State of the State address will be translated into six languages to increase public access to state information.
In addition to English, the text of the address will be available in Chinese, Japanese, Ilokano, Tagalog, Hawaiian and Korean. The translations will be posted on the governor’s Web site, www.hawaii.gov/gov, by Jan. 25. The English text will be posted immediately following the remarks on Tuesday. The speech will also be interpreted in sign language.
According to the 2006 U.S. Census survey, 23.5 percent of Hawai‘i’s population speaks a language other than English at home.
In 2006, Lingle signed into law Act 290 to require the state, as well as state-funded programs, to develop plans to provide interpretation services and translated documents to immigrants and residents who have limited ability to read or speak English. The bill also established the Office of Language Access within the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
“Language should not be a barrier to preventing all residents of our state from becoming involved in important state government issues that will directly affect their lives and the future of our state,” Lingle said. “… The translations also focus on the growing need to have a population that is able to speak another language in order to increase Hawai‘i’s competitiveness in the global marketplace as well as our strategic role in the Asia-Pacific region.”
The translation services will be provided of professors or assistant professors from the Center for Interpretation and Translation Studies, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa; Ka haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikolani College of Hawaiian Language, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo; and Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures, Ilokano Language and Philippine Drama Program, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. Language Plus LLC and Korea Translation and Notary Service will also assist.
