Addressing Language Barriers . . . 

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GLSP's Latino Outreach Cases Address Language Barriers

Ms. Graciela Medina is the mother of two young sons, Jesus and Ramiro.  Ms. Medina is a legal permanent resident who has worked in a carpet mill for four years.  She speaks a little English but not enough to understand legal matters.  Ms. Medina was discharged from her job when her employer improperly rejected her valid work authorization document from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).  Ms. Medina filed for unemployment benefits and was denied.  The Department of Labor in her town has no Spanish-speaking staff, and no written material, including application forms, in Spanish.  Federal and state law require that services and documents be provided in appropriate languages to non-English speaking customers.  Ms. Medina sought help from GLSP where her lawyer appealed the denial of unemployment benefits, and requested that an interpreter be provided for the hearing.  An interpreter was provided and Ms. Medina won on her claim that she had been wrongfully discharged.  The GLSP lawyer also sought help from the INS to correct the employer's improper rejection of Ms. Medina's work authorization.  The INS provided a work authorization stamp on Ms. Medina's passport, with which she was quickly rehired.  (Client stories are used with permission.  Photographs and names do not necessarily represent actual clients.)

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