It has been 18 years since language rights were established in the City and County of San Francisco (the
City) and 10 years since the Office of Civic Engagement & Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA) was charged with
implementing the City’s Language Access Ordinance (LAO) and overseeing citywide compliance. First
enacted as the San Francisco Equal Access to Services Ordinance in 2001, the LAO was amended and
strengthened in 2009 under the leadership of the late Mayor Ed Lee, Board President (now
Assemblymember) David Chiu, and community advocates led by Chinese for Affirmative Action.
Subsequent amendments by the Board of Supervisors broadened and expanded LAO compliance to all
City departments that serve or provide information to the public.
Thanks to the foresight of City and community leaders, advocacy by the San Francisco Immigrant Rights
Commission, and OCEIA’s partnership with City departments, much has been accomplished since the LAO
was enacted. The intent and purpose of the City’s language access laws is to provide equal and
meaningful access to information at the same time and place to all residents, regardless of the language
they speak or understand. During crisis, emergency or public safety situations, trust and cooperation
between residents and the City is essential. Imagine if there was a real national emergency today. How
would Americans be able to trust and cooperate with the federal government?
This is why language access must remain a right.
Thank you to the OCEIA Language Access & Policy Implementation Team for preparing this report and to
the San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission for its continued advocacy and work on behalf of our
immigrants and communities.
ADRIENNE PON
Executive Director, Office of Civic Engagement & Immigrant Affairs
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