 New York City opens Chinese language service
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-07-25 07:31 Navigating the bureaucracy in New York City can be a daunting task for Chinese and a couple of million of other immigrants, for they are not familiar with the way the administrations works. It is more difficult for Zhang Weiyi, staying there to care for his daughter, because he does not know the city's lingua franca, English, either. 'The inability to converse in English has made me feel deaf and dumb. My life here is inconvenient and dull," says Zhang. Though English is the official language, about 170 foreign languages and dialects are spoken in New York City. In fact, English is not the primary language in nearly half of the city's households, according to a census in 2000. And given that the city receives more than 20 million calls from residents each year, officials concede communication can often be a challenge. The city administration is now taking its first official step to change the condition. Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed an executive order on Tuesday, making it necessary for the city's more than 100 agencies to offer services in Chinese, as well as the five other most common foreign languages spoken in the city - Spanish, Russian, Korean, Italian and French Creole - from January next year. "No other place on earth can claim such a diversity - it is New York City's greatest strength - but it can also create significant challenges," Bloomberg said. "If people don't know what we do, don't know what they should do, what the law requires them to do, don't know how to get services, all the money that we're spending providing those services, providing those laws, is meaningless." The Chinese community in New York has welcomed the move, saying it would be a great help to Chinese immigrants and visitors. "I'm glad to hear the news Making Chinese a service language will greatly help new immigrants and visitors from China like me," Zhang Weiyi said. Howard Tsai, a Chinese-American, said the move was a wise decision out of a long-term perspective. "New York has not only recognized Chinese people's contribution to the city and made their work and life easier here, but also increased its attraction for Chinese tourists and investors," he said. Bai Xue, a 28-year-old Chinese woman studying in Los Angeles, also said Chinese-language service in the local administration is becoming more common. China Daily-Agencies (China Daily 07/25/2008 page11) |
