New York: New York is known for its rich cultural diversity, with more than 200 languages spoken across the city. In a move to cater to its diverse population, the U.S. presidential election ballots in New York will include four additional languages, alongside English. One of these languages is Bengali, representing the Indian community in the city's elections.
Bengali speakers given voting assistance
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“We are required to service four other languages besides English. It is Chinese, Spanish, Korean and Bengali as the Asian languages," says Micheal J Ryan, Executive Director, Board of Elections, NYC.
For Bengali speakers like Subhshesh, a sales agent in Times Square with Bengali roots, the inclusion of Bengali on the ballots is a welcome change. His father, who lives in the Queens area, will have access to voting materials in Bengali, making it easier for him to cast his vote.
“People like me know English but there are many in our community who are comfortable in the native language. This helps them at the polling station. I am sure my father will like the idea of seeing a Bengali language ballot paper," says Subhshesh.
A legal requirement for language access
The inclusion of Bengali-language ballots is not just a gesture of inclusivity, but also a legal mandate. New York City is required by law to provide voting materials in Bengali at certain polling sites, thanks to provisions under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This requirement extends beyond just the ballots and includes other essential voting materials, ensuring that Bengali-speaking voters have comprehensive language support.
“There was a lawsuit about language access and as you know the country of India has a lot of different languages within it. The settlement of that lawsuit required within a certain population density to have an Asian Indian language. Then through some negotiations, they settled on Bengali. I understand the limitations of Bengali being the choice but it came out of a lawsuit,” says Ryan.
A milestone for the South Asian community
The first time Bengali ballots were made available in New York was in 2013, when the city's Board of Elections began offering translation services to South Asian communities, including Bengali speakers. This came two years after a federal directive required New York to provide language assistance to South Asian minorities, helping improve access to the voting process.
Bengali-speaking voters, primarily from Bangladesh and India, represent a significant portion of New York’s immigrant population. While not every language spoken in the city is included, the inclusion of Bengali is expected to boost voter participation in the Bengali-speaking community.
Dr. Avinash Gupta, President of the Federation of Indian Associations, believes this move helps the Indian community by providing easier access to voting. “It will help the Indian population to go out and vote. That is how we can get our voices heard. We are a sizable population. It is heartening to see how Indians go out and vote and even contest elections”, says Dr Avinash Gupta.
Agency
Published: 05 Nov 2024, 11:17 am IST
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