April 12, 2021 IRC meeting

Chair Kennelly called the meeting to order at 5:38 p.m.



Present: Chair Kennelly, Vice Chair Paz, Commissioners Enssani, Fujii, Gaime (6:16 p.m.), Khojasteh, Mena, Monge, Obregon, Rahimi, Ricarte, Souza, Wang, Zamora.



Not present: Commissioner Ruiz (excused).



OCEIA staff present: Director Pon, Commission Clerk Shore, Administrative Programs Coordinator Alvarez, Operations and Grants Administrator Chan, Spanish Language Specialist Cosenza, Language Access Unit Supervisor Jozami, Chinese Language Specialist Li, Language Access Assistant Liu, Deputy Director Whipple.

 

Chair Kennelly, Vice Chair Paz and Director Pon welcomed new Commissioners Mena, Obregon, Souza, and Zamora. Interpreters provided instructions in Cantonese and Spanish on how to access interpretation services.

Chair Kennelly welcomed members of the public to the first in a two-part series of special hearings on language access. The Commission has established a Language Access Committee and Chair Kennelly invited Committee Chair Monge to introduce the speakers. Commissioner Monge provided an overview of today’s hearing, which will focus on the history and current state of the Language Access Ordinance. Next month, the Commission will hear community members’ recommendations on how to improve the Language Access Ordinance.

a. Vincent Pan, Co-Executive Director, Chinese for Affirmative Action

Vincent Pan, co-executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), was unable to join the hearing due to unforeseen circumstances. Annette Wong, director of programs, spoke on his behalf.



b. Annette Wong, Director of Programs, Chinese for Affirmative Action / Language Access Network

Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) Programs Director Annette Wong provided an overview of the history and current state of the Language Access Ordinance, and responded to questions from Commissioner Monge, Commissioner Zamora, Commissioner Souza, Vice Chair Paz, and Chair Kennelly. In 2001, San Francisco passed the Equal Access to Services Ordinance, requiring major City agencies to provide in-language services to Limited English Proficient (LEP) communities representing 5 percent of the city’s population. Spanish and Chinese met the threshold to become certified languages.



In 2009, San Francisco amended and renamed it the Language Access Ordinance (LAO). After the Filipino population reached the numeric threshold to become certified, the City certified Filipino in 2014. San Francisco revised the LAO in 2015 to require all public-facing City departments to provide language access services. The City also updated the oversight role of the Immigrant Rights Commission, and established OCEIA as the oversight body.



Programs Director Wong discussed the role of the Language Access Network (LAN), a collaboration of seven community organizations formed in 2012 and funded by OCEIA. In the last year, the LAN met with the Department of Emergency Management’s COVID Command Center to share information and best practices. Programs Director Wong stated that the goal is to strengthen the LAO and make it more inclusive, and noted that resourcing and implementing the work is key to its success.



c. Adrienne Pon, Executive Director, Office of Civic Engagement & Immigrant Affairs

Director Pon provided an overview of the Language Access Ordinance and its implementation, the policy role of the Immigrant Rights Commission, and responded to questions from Commissioner Obregon and Commissioner Gaime. She discussed current challenges for departments, including engaging residents and ensuring that complaints about LAO violations are forwarded to OCEIA. She also noted economic opportunities including training Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and other community members as interpreters, and supporting compensation for community-based organizations when they frequently assist departments with language interpretation and translation.



Commissioner Monge suggested that the Immigrant Rights Commission continue to hold hearings with the Language Access Network to evaluate the LAO regularly in the future.

Chair Kennelly invited members of the public to speak.



Abraham Gonzalez

Abraham Gonzalez, the father of a daughter and member of the Latino community, thanked everyone who is working to translate services for non-English speakers like him.



Chair Kennelly thanked the speaker and Commissioner Monge.

(Information/Discussion/Action)

a. Motion to authorize Executive Committee to determine and execute follow-up actions on this hearing (Director Pon)

Director Pon suggested deferring this item to the Language Access Committee. Chair Kennelly made a motion for the Language Access Committee to develop recommendations to present to the Executive Committee. Commissioner Enssani seconded the motion. The motion was approved by the 14 Commissioners present.

(Information/Discussion/Action)

a. Approval of March 8, 2021 Full Commission Meeting minutes

Commissioner Zamora motioned to approve the minutes from the March 8, 2021 Full Commission meeting. Commissioner Ricarte seconded the motion. The minutes were approved.

a. Language Access Committee (Commissioner Monge)

Commissioner Monge discussed the next language access hearing scheduled for May 10, 2021. Chair Kennelly asked Commissioners to publicize the hearings.



b. Immigrant Leadership Awards Committee (Commissioners Fujii and Ricarte)

Commissioners Fujii and Ricarte provided an update on the Immigrant Leadership Awards, scheduled for June 14, 2021. The deadline to submit nominations is April 16, 2021. All Commissioners are invited to Awards Committee meetings to discuss nominations and plan the event. Chair Kennelly thanked Commissioners Fujii and Ricarte and OCEIA staff.



c.  Racial Equity Committee (Commissioner Khojasteh and Director Pon)

Director Pon provided an update on the Office of the City Administrator’s racial equity plan, which is moving into its second phase.

a. Director’s Updates

Director Pon provided an overview of the Commission’s upcoming meetings. Commission Clerk Shore worked with OCEIA staff to draft the language access survey, which has been sent to Commissioner Monge and Chair Kennelly for their review. Director Pon approached the Human Rights Commission about holding a joint hearing, possibly during their May 13, 2021 meeting. She asked Chair Kennelly if she would like to appoint a planning committee for the hearing.



Chair Kennelly asked Commissioners about their availability to join the Human Rights Commission on May 13, 2021 for a joint hearing. A majority of Commissioners are available. She asked Commissioners if the hearing should focus on anti-Asian hate, or take a broader approach. Commissioners Khojasteh, Enssani, Mena and Souza voiced their support to focus the hearing on anti-Asian hate. Commissioner Souza also suggested taking an inclusive approach. Commissioner Rahimi asked if the Commission should engage community leaders. Chair Kennelly asked Commissioners to send her names of community organizations to re-engage. Director Pon noted that the Board of Supervisors’ Public Safety Committee held a meeting on what City departments are doing. She suggested that the Commission provide a space for community members to speak on their own behalf.



Chair Kennelly asked Commissioner Khojasteh if he would like to work with her to plan the hearing. Commissioner Khojasteh asked if a member of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community would like to take the lead. In response to a request from Director Pon, Commissioner Wang agreed to help plan the hearing.



Commissioner Khojasteh made a motion to move forward with a special hearing on anti-Asian hate, with Commissioner Wang and Chair Kennelly to coordinate with the Human Rights Commission and OCEIA staff. The motion was approved by the 14 Commissioners present.

There was no old business.

Commissioner Rahimi asked a question on behalf of Commissioner Souza, who was experiencing technical difficulties, about the process for introducing a resolution. Commissioner Zamora will also be drafting a resolution. Director Pon advised the Commissioners to submit their draft resolutions to the Executive Committee for discussion. The Executive Committee meets Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 5:30 p.m.

Chair Kennelly adjourned the meeting at 7:37 p.m.