For many people in the Coachella Valley, language can be a barrier in getting involved in local politics, but a Coachella city councilwoman has a simple idea to get her constituents involved in the conversation.

About 90% of Coachella residents are Spanish speakers, and Councilwoman Megan Beamon-Jacinto saw an opportunity to include more people in the city council meetings regardless of the language they speak.

The city has offered interpreter services for several years now, but like many other cities, the interpretations benefited English speakers.

Beaman-Jacinto said, “Interpreting Spanish into English and not constantly throughout the meeting and essentially what I asked to be implemented and it’s been implemented is a simultaneous from English to Spanish or Spanish to English.”

The Spanish interpretations in the city council meetings go beyond simply following the conversation, the change is empowering residents to share their opinions in the direction of the city.

Jorge Ceja is a long-time business owner in Coachella, he wishes to be more vocal about the changes in the city but language is an obstacle.

Ceja said, “Since I only understand about 50 % of the meeting, so I don’t want to go as much.”

He said he wants to be able to voice his concerns over the growing cannabis businesses in his city.

Ceja said, “I think they are seeing it as big business, and there are not that many people in the city who are sick and need it.”

But offering a second language in official government business may be problematic for some in this current state of opposition, President Donal Trump opposed in the past over speaking Spanish in the United States.

However, Beaman-Jacinto said she wants her residents to be more involved in the community and speaking their language is a start.

“What do people speak, what do people want to speak, how do they identify, those are our languages.”

Ceja said he feels more compelled to participate in a meeting that is in a language he understand.

He said, “It will help me understand 100% and share my opinion on the decisions by the city council.”

Breaking-down Language Barriers in Coachella City Council Meetings