In Illinois’ countless immigrant communities, the streets and neighborhoods are filled with music, food, art, festivals, and more. In addition to Spanish — Chinese, Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, Korean, and Tagalog are some of the most spoken languages in Illinois. With nearly ONE MILLION residents who prefer a language other than English, our state has failed to make vital services accessible to immigrant families.

Additionally, with nearly 15,000 new arrivals in Chicago and Cook County, and more arriving each day, our state needs to build infrastructures of care and long-term support systems. Language access is an essential component that will empower our new neighbors to set down roots in our welcoming community.

It’s time for Illinois to ensure that all our communities, regardless of language, can connect with the many public resources available so all families across our state can prosper.

Will you join us and tell your state representative to support the Language Equity and Access Act?