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Local governments, schools have translation buttons on websites

By pressing a button, users can translate the website of Hazleton Area School Distrit into Spanish or 18 other languages spoken in the district’s schools. (Kent Jackson / Standard-Speaker)
By pressing a button, users can translate the website of Hazleton Area School Distrit into Spanish or 18 other languages spoken in the district’s schools. (Kent Jackson / Standard-Speaker)
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While the White House removed its Spanish website soon after President Donald Trump took office, local governments and school districts still offer information online in Spanish.

The City of Hazleton, where 59.4% of residents speak a language other than English at home, posted information about this winter’s snow parking ban in English and Spanish.

The notice reads, “Parking Permitted on Blue Sign Side Only (Estacionamiento es permitido solo en el lado de letrero azul.)”

Hazleton City Authority displays notices in English and Spanish such as Wednesday’s boil advisory for customers in Valmont, Council Crest, Dipple Manor and Susquehanna Boulevard after water main broke.

Notices in Spanish on Luzerne County’s website include an explanation of how to apply for a marriage license and a fee list.

Like many local governments, Hazleton Area School District has a button to translate its website. The button gives options for Spanish and dozens of other languages from Afrikaans to Zulu, an advantage in district where 19 languages are spoken in the schools.

Wilkes-Barre city, Crestwood School District, Lackawanna and Schuylkill counties are among local websites with a translator button, and Luzerne County plans to have a translation feature when it’s new website becomes active.

 

By pressing a button, users can translate the website of Hazleton Area School Distrit into Spanish or 18 other languages spoken in the district's schools. (Kent Jackson / Standard-Speaker)
By pressing a button, users can translate the website of Hazleton Area School Distrit into Spanish or 18 other languages spoken in the district’s schools. (Kent Jackson / Standard-Speaker)

Visitors to the state’s website who use the button for Spanish will be greeted: “Bienvenido a Pensilvania.”

Although none of the government representatives contacted for this article said they plan to scale back outreaches in languages other than English, when the federal government sets an example other entities might follow.

After Trump’s election, for example. the governor of West Virginia and companies such as Walmart, McDonalds and Meta lessened their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs based on the president’s campaign statements even before he was inaugurated and put all federal DEI workers on leave.

In Hazleton, Vianney Castro, who translated official documents into Spanish during the pandemic, said communication between city government and the Hispanic community has improved in the past eight years.

“We have Spanish speakers at City Hall. That has been really helpful,” said Castro, who finished second in a four-way race for mayor after winning the Democratic primary two years ago and is considering running for city council this year.

Carols Monclus, who lost a bid for council in 2023 and asked a business partner to translate text messages into English for this article, listed advantages of having an Hispanic council member.

“We can work as a counselor, as an advisor to help the city council understand better the diversity that they are working with. Why don’t we have Hispanic representation in managerial roles or on the city council? Why isn’t there a department run by a Hispanic individual? Despite making up such a significant portion of the city,” Castro said in a text message. “Every city council meeting, especially those involving the mayor, must have a translator. If 60% of the population is Hispanic, how can they understand what’s being discussed if it’s not in their language?”

If people visit websites that lack a translator button or can’t get a button to work, they can use Google Translator to translate one page at a time.

It also worked for the White House website.

A translator program changes a page from the White House website into Spanish.(Kent Jackson / Standard-Speaker)
A translator program changed a page from the White House website into Spanish.(Kent Jackson / Standard-Speaker)

Other languages

Here’s a listing of residents who speak a language other than English based on Census estimates for the following places:

Luzerne County, 15%

Lackawanna County, 10.1%

Schuylkill County, 6.2%

Carbon County, 6.1%

Hazleton, 59.4%

West Hazleton, 55.5%

Wilkes-Barre, 25.6%

Scranton, 18.3%

Pottsville, 5%

Pennsylvania, 12%

United States, 22%

 

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