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Building Integrated Communities Through Language Rights

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Building Integrated Communities Through Language Rights The Human Rights Policy LAB University of North Carolina School of Law BUILDING INTEGRATED COMMUNITIES THROUGH LANGUAGE RIGHTS AUTHORS Ashleigh Davis Ikee Gardner Patricia Heyen Jacob Oakes Caroline Outten Leslie Puzo Sarah Sawyer Shun Ming Yau Deborah M. Weissman- Faculty Adviser September 2015 http://www.law.unc.edu/documents/academics/humanrights/buildingcommunities.pdf The Human Rights Policy LAB University of North Carolina School of Law BUILDING INTEGRATED COMMUNITIES THROUGH LANGUAGE RIGHTS AUTHORS Ashleigh Davis Ikee Gardner Patricia Heyen Jacob Oakes Caroline Outten Leslie Puzo Sarah Sawyer Shun Ming Yau Deborah M. Weissman- Faculty Adviser September 2015 http://www.law.unc.edu/documents/academics/humanrights/buildingcommunities.pdf ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank Dr. Hannah Gill, the University of North Carolina’s Institute for the Study of the Americas, and the UNC Latino Migration Project for their collaboration on this project. We are especially grateful to Wanda Allen-Abraha, Director, City of Winston-Salem Human Relations Department, and Alvena Heggins, Director, City of High Point Human Relations Department for their assistance in preparing this report, and for their sustained efforts on behalf of Limited English Proficient residents in their communities. Deborah M. Weissman Reef C. Ivey II Distinguished Professor of Law UNC School of Law EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 SECTION ONE: INTERNATIONAL & REGIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS NORMS & LANGUAGE ACCESS . 8 I. HUMAN RIGHTS NORMS AND LANGUAGE ACCESS .............................................................................................. 8 INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS, HUMAN DIGNITY, AND LANGUAGE RIGHTS ....................................................... 9 1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights............................................................................................................... 12 2. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ...................................................................................... 14 3. International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination ....................... 17 4. Other International Norms........................................................................................................................................ 19 INTER-AMERICAN SYSTEM .............................................................................................................................................. 23 OAS Charter ..................................................................................................................................................................... 24 American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man ................................................................................ 24 American Convention on Human Rights ............................................................................................................. 25 II. THE EUROPEAN UNION AND LANGUAGE ACCESS ........................................................................................... 27 EUROPEAN TREATY FRAMEWORK .................................................................................................................................. 29 European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages ............................................................................. 29 The Oslo Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................... 33 The Amsterdam Treaty ............................................................................................................................................... 35 Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union ................................................................................ 36 THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHT’S INFLUENCE ON LANGUAGE ACCESS ................................................. 37 Protection of Names ..................................................................................................................................................... 38 Language Rights of Prisoners ................................................................................................................................... 41 Right to Freedom of Expression in One’s Own Language ............................................................................. 41 Linguistic Rights in Education ................................................................................................................................. 42 Linguistic Rights in Political or Institutional Contexts .................................................................................. 43 MERCATOR NETWORK ...................................................................................................................................................... 43 III. RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON INTERNATIONAL & REGIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS PRINCIPLES ................ 45 APPLYING HUMAN RIGHTS PRINCIPLES AT HOME ...................................................................................................... 45 THE EUROPEAN UNION MODEL FOR ADVANCING LANGUAGE RIGHTS AS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT .................... 47 SECTION TWO: TITLE VI ................................................................................................................................... 50 I. TITLE VI & LANGUAGE ACCESS ........................................................................................................................ 52 WHEN DOES TITLE VI APPLY? ....................................................................................................................................... 52 EXECUTIVE ORDERS .......................................................................................................................................................... 56 Executive Order 12250 ............................................................................................................................................... 57 Executive Order 13166 ............................................................................................................................................... 57 TITLE VI LEP GUIDANCE ................................................................................................................................................. 59 Four-Factor Analysis ................................................................................................................................................... 59 Oral Language Assistance .......................................................................................................................................... 61 Written Language Assistance ................................................................................................................................... 62 LEP Plans .......................................................................................................................................................................... 63 II. TITLE VI COMPLIANCE & ENFORCEMENT ...................................................................................................... 64 GENERAL COMPLIANCE MEASURES ............................................................................................................................... 64 Compliance Prior to Receiving Federal Funds .................................................................................................. 65 Maintaining Compliance ............................................................................................................................................ 66 ADMINISTRATIVE ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURE ........................................................................................................... 67 Filing Administrative Complaints .......................................................................................................................... 68 Voluntary Compliance Efforts .................................................................................................................................. 69 TITLE VI LANGUAGE ACCESS CLAIMS IN COURT .......................................................................................................... 71 SECTION THREE: LANGUAGE ACCESS IN NORTH CAROLINA ............................................................... 75 I. ASSESSMENT OF LANGUAGE ACCESS PRACTICES IN NORTH CAROLINA ........................................................ 76 PUBLIC SAFETY .................................................................................................................................................................. 76 Issues Faced By LEP Persons ................................................................................................................................... 77 Current Language Access Practices ....................................................................................................................... 81 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................................................ 83 TRANSPORTATION ............................................................................................................................................................
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