Women Watch Afrika, Inc. is shocked, disappointed, and disturbed by this situation in which a Morrow city councilwoman stated (on video) that her Vietnamese-American colleague “failed as a citizen of this country” and “dishonored” her office because she backed a petition for multilingual ballots ahead of Morrow’s upcoming election. Our nation is not an English-only nation. America is diverse. The citizens of the United States come from many nations and speak different languages. There are language exceptions for the Citizenship test, so one cannot make general assumptions that every American citizen must speak or read English. There is nothing wrong with asking for language access or language justice, especially as a means to ensure that everyone is able to exercise their right to vote efficiently.
#LanguageJustice
For more details on the situation see the following AJC article on the matter:
https://www.ajc.com/politics/politics-blog/councilmember-calls-colleague-un-american-for-pushing-multilingual-ballots-in-atlanta-suburb/Q5M6ZIXOURDW3IF6ZTHIG6NZAI/
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As an expert in this field, Women Watch Afrika provides trainings as a consultant on numerous issues. For more information on training, guidance, consulting services, and/or information on working with immigrant communities contact Glory Kilanko, Founder and Executive Director, Women Watch Afrika, Inc. at 404-759-6419 or womenwatchafrika@gmail.com
About Women Watch Afrika:
Women Watch Afrika is a grassroots, nonprofit, international, national, and local social justice organization focused on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls, the promotion of social and economic development and health equity of women, and the acculturation of immigrants and refugees (men and women) arriving to the United States from 23 African nations.
In line with its goal, Women Watch Afrika provides Social Services, Legal Services, Advocacy, Health Education, Legal Education, End Domestic Violence classes, Stop FGM/C workshops, Reproductive Rights Education, Know Your Rights workshops, Citizenship Preparation, Civic Engagement; and Advocates against unjust, discriminatory laws that affect the community.
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