the ultimate goal of linguistic justice

diverse women happy

Our ultimate goal as an organization is to preserve the dignity and independence of non-native English speakers. We wish to see those members of our society whose preferred language is other than the dominant language fully participate in society. This means equal access and understanding of city, state, and federal services available to them, and the ability to confidently participate in the democratic process. When typically marginalized communities are given the tools to fully understand and participate in society on equal linguistic footing, we create the space for them to bring their whole selves to the table. Doing so not only strengthens civil society at every level, it creates respect and dignity for the individual persons and allows them to preserve their unique cultural heritage. 

At Linguistic Justice, our team of professional interpreters and translators focus on facilitating understanding in keeping with the highest standards of the language services industry and the integration of our Linguistic Justice Principles.

Language is essential; it shapes how we’re able to understand and process the world around us. It is an integral part of culture. It becomes an innate part of each human being, and by the time we are school age, our dominant language is second nature. When our dominant language is the same as the culture we live in, it’s easy to forget what a crucial tool it is for engaging with the world. We use language to access all the layers of the external environment we live in, from grocery shopping and ordering at a restaurant, to accessing crucial services through local government. Being able to interact with the system fluently in the dominant language is a privilege – and one many in the US do not have.

Language is also linked to systems of oppression and dominance, often on the basis of race. Language is an inextricable part of the transnational histories of colonization which lead to dangerous discrimination on the basis of race, ability and gender. Despite incremental change over the years, this colonial history still influences and affects minority groups today.

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Why is Language politically relevant?

Because racism is connected to linguistic superiority, language is consequently political.

black woman with megaphone

Each individual is affected differently by systems of oppression. Dominant language impacts experienced oppression with those speaking the predominant language of a society having more power simply through access to information. Language violence can be a real problem for those who speak a minority language as their mother tongue. Both a lack of information and language violence need to be addressed to ensure every individual can participate in society as their whole self.

Consequently the work we do at Linguistic Justice of preserving language and ensuring inclusive language access is inherently tied to movements of decolonization, racial justice, and social justice.

The injustices that exist in the world cannot be addressed without language access:otherwise, how can we understand one another and communicate effectively to address the crisis of an increasingly chaotic world? Our language justice practices can set the tone for true restorative justice through adequate language access.

Through our Linguistic Justice Principles, we work to create spaces where no one language is more dominant than the other. It takes great intentionality, careful planning, and thorough expertise to create multilingual spaces.

We’re committed to anti-racism practices, and the daily pursuit of anti-oppression work. To help support our journey toward inclusion, download our Linguistic Justice Best Practices to guide you or your community on your own anti-racist work.

all are welcome

Download the linguistic justice principles