Should Public Meetings Offer Translation?

Rezoning in New York's Lower East Side brings the issue of language to the fore, as members of the Spanish and Chinese communities find themselves unable to participate in important decisions about their neighborhoods.

1 minute read

July 1, 2008, 5:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur

"Should Community Boards offer interpreters for their public hearings?

That became a topic of contention when a wonky zoning meeting on May 12 about the Lower East Side rezoning erupted into screaming, accusations of racism and an arrest.

The demonstrators demanded Chinese and Spanish translators for the Community Board 3 meeting, but their protests were really pointing to a deeper anxiety about the rezoning process - the exclusion of minorities."

FULL STORY: Lower East Side Rezoning, in Translation

Monday, June 30, 2008 in The New York Times

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