In New York, the Asian population on Long Island is growing rapidly, becoming the fastest-growing ethnic group. However, a survey has shown that many immigrants have limited English language proficiency, leading to obstacles in voting, reporting emergencies, and accessing other essential services.
A research report titled “Asian Language Accessibility Assessment: Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps” was jointly released on February 26 by the “Asian Research and Engagement Institute” and the “Hofstra University National Center for Suburban Studies” located in Syosset, Long Island. The study investigated focus groups in 2023 and surveyed 378 individuals in 2024.
According to previous reports by Long Island media outlet Newsday, population data shows that Asians are the fastest-growing ethnic group on Long Island, with a 4.4% increase in 2022-2023, bringing the total Asian population to 252,957 in 2023.
The report pointed out that “diverse language backgrounds including Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Hindi, Urdu, and Bengali” are among the reasons for language barriers, posing significant obstacles to accessing basic services, voting, and social participation, calling for efforts to reverse this situation.
According to the survey, 58.2% of respondents said they faced language barriers in accessing basic services such as emergency medical care, police, fire department, and legal assistance; 43.1% faced difficulties in educational resources (schools, childcare); 90.9% of non-language-barrier individuals reported their family members had language difficulties; 67% of respondents experienced discrimination due to poor English proficiency, with the same percentage facing discrimination based on their accent.
More than half of the respondents or their family members have encountered difficulties in voting due to language barriers; 82.2% of respondents are more inclined to support candidates who provide campaign materials in their native language, highlighting the importance of political campaigns that are culturally and linguistically inclusive.
The report recommends that governments and healthcare institutions strengthen language services, including increasing translation resources for major Asian languages such as Mandarin, Hindi, Korean, and Urdu, and providing professional interpreters more in line with cultural backgrounds, rather than solely relying on telephone interpretation services.