A local language services provider is urging community leaders to consider Western Carolina’s Spanish-speaking residents when sharing vital updates on COVID-19.
Cenzontle Language Justice Cooperative has been on the front lines in the effort to get out accurate information in Spanish.
Interpreter and worker-owner Rocio Quintero says even though she’s doing this work from home, by the end of the day, she’s exhausted.
"Everything is happening so fast, all the information is coming to us all at once," Quintero said. "I have been working sometimes 8, 10, and 12 hour shifts pretty much because there is so much that needs to be available in Spanish, so that the whole community benefits from it."
Buncombe County Health and Human Services is contracting Cenzontle for interpreting live briefings in real-time.
But with a Spanish-speaking population that spans across the region, Quintero says she’s worried that potentially-life saving information is falling through the cracks.
"It is unfortunate this has happened, but we can hope that something good can come out of this, which would be for the focus of having information available into other languages for the sake of the community, then I think we’ll be in a better place coming out of this," Quintero said.
Quintero says social service agencies and health providers can send COVID-19 related updates to Cenzontle to be shared with Spanish-Speakers throughout Western North Carolina.
