Jul 26, 2021

Tardeada seeks to overcome Hispanic language, cultural barriers

Posted Jul 26, 2021 11:01 AM

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Hispanic Hays residents in a recent survey said they would be more likely to participate in community events and shop locally if they had access to Spanish translations.

The United Way of Ellis County is planning an event they hope will unite the Hays Hispanic population with the greater community and offer some needed translation to overcome that language barrier.

The Tardeada, which is a Mexican American word meaning to party in the afternoon, will include booths from community services and businesses. Literature and posters will be available in Spanish and English, and Spanish interpreters will be available.

The event will be from 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday at the Downtown Pavilion, 10th and Main, Hays.

Bingo with prizes will be offered for adults, and face painting and piñatas will be offered for children between 2 and 6 p.m.  A dance featuring Latin and country music will be from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Pavilion.

"It's for the whole community," Jacome said, "so we want more than just the Hispanic population to come to the dance. ... [People] can network and get together and learn about each other and the different styles of dance too."

Tacos will be served, and cultural booths will offer information about the Hispanic culture.

Meleny Jacome, United Way intern, has helped organize the project. She and Olivia Albrecht, United Way administrative assistant, surveyed 58 members of the Hays Hispanic community in June to determine how better businesses and non-profits could connect with Hispanic residents.

Jacome, who is a senior in organizational leadership at Fort Hays State University, found language and lack of information were two significant barriers in connecting Hispanic individuals with the community. 

"They are not being targeted by the Hays community," she said, "and that is something that I would like to see change, so they can be brought in and really feel part of the community.

"The language barrier is a big thing, becuase even if they did get the information, how do they read it? How do they understand it?"

Because businesses and non-profit agencies don't have interpreters or materials available in Spanish, Hispanic families are going as far as Garden City for services and to shop.

"I don't think it is on purpose," she said, "but there has been definitely a lack of inclusion here in Hays."

Ninety-six percent of survey respondents said they would like businesses to display signs in Spanish. The same percentage said they would shop more in Hays if business signs and materials were offered in Spanish.

Jacome also encouraged businesses to look to FHSU to find workers who are bilingual.

Seventy percent of the survey respondents said they felt welcome to participate in community events, but 84 percent of the respondents said they are not aware of community events.

Most of the Hispanic families who are involved in community events are involved in events through their children's school, Jacome said.

"New couples, couples who don't have kids, they just assume Hays doesn't have anything," Jacome said. "Me and you know there is something going on every single day, every single weekend, but for them nothing is going on."

Ninety percent of survey respondents said they would be more likely to participate in community events if the events were bilingual. 

Ninety-eight percent of respondents said they would like to see a yearly event that celebrated minority cultures.

Ninety-one percent of Hispanic community members surveyed also expressed a desire for English classes for both adults and children. 

When Spanish-speaking children enter the Hays school system, they learn English, but they are also required to learn all of their other subjects in English while they are learning to write and speak English, Jacome said.

"I think that is something that needs to be explored by the schools," she said. "Are they serving their second-language students? Are they doing their best to make sure these students are successful moving forward, or are they just passing them on while they are trying to learn English?"

The parents she spoke with hoped an English class or classes could be offered during the evenings, as to not to conflict with other school or work obligations.

Jacome said she wants the event on Saturday to help connect all people in the community.

"It's nobody's fault. 18,700 people [in Hays] are Caucasian. They don't know a lot about different cultures," she said. "[Minorities] are very small, but they're here. Naturally there is going to be some ignorance and stereotyping.

"What I would like to do with the cultural booths is help people learn a little bit about what the cultural is, the food, what we celebrate."

She said she hopes community members take the opportunity to talk and network with some of the bilingual Hispanic members of the community at this event.

"It is meant to be an event that creates unity within the community," Jacome said. "Maybe after this event we can work on getting things translated over to Spanish and English."

She also said she hopes this could be a first step in recruiting more Hispanic students to FHSU — students who may choose to stay and work in the community.

You can find a complete copy Jacome and Albrecht's Hispanic Community Action Plan survey on the United Way website.