Kamana
Khadka, MPH
At about 4:30 pm on weekdays, my Mum would yell from
just outside the dinning area of our Kathmandu home, “Kamana. Monika. Come eat first.
Did you two change your school uniforms yet?”
Immediately, after returning from school, my sister
and I, sat next to each other, on Galaicha
(Carpet, handmade in Nepal), leaving sofa behind us, and stared at our 32
inches, Sony, color television set. We impatiently
flipped through several of our favorite American shows on Star World, HBO,
Cinemax, MTV, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, National Geography, BBC, Channel V,
Disney World, and so on.
We painted a picture of the United States of America,
as the land of most progressive minded and intelligent people. We thought, new innovations, exciting
discoveries, and strong systems of law that protect the rights and ensure
happiness of All its citizen, were part of everyday life in the United States.
“Chori (daughter), do you want to wear thick glasses like your Hajur Buwa
(Grandfather)?” my Dad would say, as he literally picked both of us,
one at a time, and placed us further away on the Galaicha.
“I can’t wait to graduate from high school Dad. I want to go to the United States,” said I.
In 2005, I was in Phoenix, Arizona.
“Heavily accented teachers removed from Arizona classrooms,” read the headline in The Washington Post, 2010.
“Arizona bill 2281 targets ban on ethnic studies,” read the headline in The Arizona Republic, 2010.
When
SB1070, the anti-immigration law was passed in Arizona, President Obama commented
that it threatened “to undermine basic
notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between
police and our communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe.”
Almost a decade has passed since I first arrived in the
United States.
50 years has passed since President Lyndon B.
Johnson signed The Civil Rights Act of 1964; the law that outlawed
discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
But, are we there yet?
Sure. There
have been prominent movements for equality.
After all, equality is what we, the Americans, are all about.
But, I ask again, are we there yet?
The rights of LGBT community, women, undocumented immigrants,
refugees, and limited English speakers/speakers of non-English languages still remain
unaddressed for the most part.
What about in the State of Arizona?
Are we there yet?
“We must come together
as a proactive cross-cultural movement to eliminate racism within our lifetime.
It is time to inspire people to believe – and act on the belief – that this can
be achieved. As we lift up healing with efforts to transform, inequitable
systems and structures will surely crumble as our collective power is applied.”
- Mr.
Lloyd Y. Asato, Executive Director at Asian Pacific Community In Action
“Personally and as an immigrant, Civil Rights
Act of 1964 and similar laws are one of the reasons why we left our original
countries. Being a member of a minority always puts you at risk of
discrimination in one way or another. It is usually the legal system that
should protect citizens of any act of discrimination. This is why people from
all around the world aspire to live in the United States of America.”
-
Ms.
R. Radhi. Originally from Iraq. Living
in Phoenix since June 10th, 2010.
“Although the Act was
passed 50 years ago and despite the fact that many of the injustices it was
designed to combat still exist today, many benefit daily from its passage and
implementation. Personally, I benefit from having a professional role
that allows me to implement elements of the Civil Rights Act each and every day
by ensuring our organization maintains equitable hiring practices, goes
beyond ADA standards of accessibility, provides inclusive, quality service to
individuals from all backgrounds, and much more. Unfortunately, the
elimination of important equity-focused programs like Affirmative Action seem
to revers our national and state progress as they have had significant negative
impacts in areas such as admissions to higher education institutions by people
of color.”
- Mr. Essen Otu, MPA, Diversity & Community
Affairs Director at Mountain Park Health Center
“My experience has been
in the military from around that time until 24 years later. In the military I
did not see or experience anything that appeared to be discriminatory; on the
contrary, any behavior of that type was not condoned or permitted and there
were severe consequences if that were to occur. I spent a major part of those
years outside of the United States. As it is, I have little personal
experience but in my current position I see that Title VI of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964 has allowed for better access to health care services by
prohibiting any discrimination based on race, color or national origin; this
principally enhances the opportunity to communicate in a clinical setting in a
form and language that the patient understands. Having experienced health care
services in a foreign country and seen the difficulty of English speaking
patients in attempting to communicate with the health care provider and having
to rely on signals and signs compared to here in the US where the patient can
rely of a qualified medical Interpreter… the Civil Rights Act of 1964 has made
it possible for the patient not to be concerned if they would be someone
available that could understand them and focus more on their health issue. I
have seen the progress of language and cultural services in a health care
setting… from the use of anyone that may be bilingual to the use of qualified
bilingual staff. The professionalization of the medical interpreter has been
the direct outcome of the civil rights act and has led to the improvement in
communication and in the outcomes of the medical interaction. Positive
comments made from satisfied patients and family members praising the medical
interpreter for their thoroughness and their ability to help them deal with a
difficult issue and understand the what is said is a testament of the importance
of assisting in the communication process.”
- Mr. Luis Gendreau, BGS, MBA, Community
Relations Director at Maricopa Integrated Health Systems
“A few seniors asked me
these questions during a recent visit to a senior center. Please note
that they are on AHCCCS.
What do I do if the
doctor told me to bring my own "translator"?
A receptionist told me
that the doctor would not see me unless I bring someone to
"translate" for me. What should I do?
I was glad that the
community center assigned an interpreter for me but the liver specialist
referred by my family doctor told my daughter that they don't provide
interpreter service. What can I do now?
The phone interpreter
seemed so rushed. I don't think that the doctor really knew what was
wrong with me. What can I do?
These questions showcase
the common language barrier that many individuals with limited English
Proficiency have to deal with while accessing health and social services. They encounter the language barrier while
seeking services at clinics where federal fund was provided. And yes we are talking about 50 Years after
the inauguration of Title VI, Civil Rights Act of 1964. More workshops on
Title VI are needed to educate the public about the right to receive equal
service so that they are empowered to ask for language service. More complaints should be filed by members
from people speaking language of lesser diffusion. More interpreters need
to be trained. Service providers should be educated on Title VI and CLAS
standards so that they know to be compliant with the law by using
certified/trained/qualified interpreters.
The reality is that LEP
patients are discriminated against everyday because of their "race, color,
and national origin." We have a lot of work to do. Perhaps someday Arizona will also have state
registry for healthcare interpreters and state certification. Not in the too distant future, I hope.”
- Ms. Emma Ditsworth, Co-founder/Interpreter
Trainer at Hamro America
During my recent travels to Bhutanese Refugee Camps
and a couple of countries in Asia, I was reminded that, just like my sister and
I, many of the refugees, immigrants, tourists, and international students,
still paint a similar picture of the United States of America; land of endless
opportunities for all. Opportunities, regardless
of caste, class, education, color, language, sex, religion, and national
origin.
And, just like my sister and I, they too are bound
to be disappointed upon their arrivals. Because
soon, very soon, they will access our health care, social and human services
and see right through the discrimination we practice in our State, in our
country; sometimes openly and often times very subtly. Our service delivery and hard-to-change systems
reflect the practiced discrimination on a daily basis.
Today,
as we celebrate the 50 years of accomplished progress, after the signing of perhaps,
one of the most important laws in our country, The Civil Rights Act, let us not
forget that indeed, we are not there yet. Much work lies ahead of us; in the State of
Arizona and in our country.