"English isn't the only American language."

While seemingly an obvious point, the reality that the United States is composed of speakers of a diverse array of languages--and the reluctance of many to acknowledge this--has been emphasized again and again through my experience working with newly arrived, non-English speaking refugees at Nationalities Service Center. A substantial part of what I do each day involves breaking down the assumption that English is the one true American language. In interacting with refugee communities, many of whom have developed close ties here and have begun to set roots in Philadelphia, I've realized time and again the value of diversity and of interacting with those who may come from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds from my own. While many people assume and expect that anyone who identifies as "American" will speak English, I have come to believe that to be American means to be part of and a contributor to a diverse community, in which you are able to access and understand what is being communicated to you.

About Nationalities Service Center

Social Services

NSC helps newly arrived refugees and asylees achieve self-sufficiency by providing support, information and advocacy. Each family works with a case manager to overcome barriers to work and school, such as literacy, language, health
concerns, transportation and child care. 2013 marked a year of tremendous growth for the Social Services Department by expanding and further developing programs aimed both at diversifying clients served and expanding service periods.

NSC’s refugee health work as the lead of the Philadelphia Refugee Health Collaborative continues to receive national recognition. The focus on opening health clinics to serve refugees and participating in health surveillance projects has resulted in improved access and outcomes for refugees. The refugee health team worked tirelessly to prepare for the Affordable Care Act. 193 Health Orientations were given (average of 13 days to orientation) and 350 health screenings were given (average of 22 days to appointment). 70 specialist appointments and 114 radiology and other testing appointments were made.

Translation and Interpretation

The Translation and Interpretation Department at Nationalities Service Center, an important resource for Philadelphians of diverse backgrounds, provides professional, timely and accurate service in more than 150 languages. Clients include immigrants and refugees, but also businesses of all sizes in various industries. The mission is to generate funding to help support the many services provided by our organization and reduce internal costs by providing language services for our other departments. Aspiring translators can also participate in training programs at NSC.

Most Requested Languages in 2013:
•  Spanish
•  Chinese (Traditional and Simplified)
•  Arabic
•  Vietnamese
•  Haitian Creole

The above information was provided by Nationalities Service Center's 2013 Annual Report.





The above images were provided by the Pew Research Hispanic Trends Project.

This post was written by PHC member Megan O'Brien.
Megan serves at Nationalities Service Center as a Refugee Health Associate.