The Power of Yes - Removing Barriers

It's great that you are aware of this! That's the first step. Don't feel guilty, just figure out what your next steps are. One thing to keep in mind is that just because they are Hispanic/Latino, it does not mean they don't understand or speak English. They could, and simply not  be familiar with English animal welfare-specific terminology.  Or they could have other reasons for not wanting to interact with people they perceive as being authority figures or law enforcement.

Unlike many native English speakers in the USA, people from Spanish speaking countries are generally honored and excited when someone attempts to speak Spanish with them, no matter how badly you mangle it. So putting a little effort into learning even a few basic phrases will make a huge impact! "Hello, how are you, do you have pets, we can help with pets", etc. Use your phone to translate. Download Duolingo and work on the Spanish course. Get someone to translate your flyers and ads for you. And of course work on finding members of the community to join your organization.

HSUS has a Spanish phrasebook you can download for free or purchase a hard copy: https://humanepro.org/page/spanish-phrases-animal-care-organizations

¡Hola! Me alegra que estés consciente de esto y estés tomando medidas para comunicarte mejor con la comunidad hispanohablante. Es cierto que la voluntad de aprender y utilizar algunas frases en español puede generar un impacto positivo. No te preocupes si no eres fluido, el esfuerzo por comunicarte en su idioma nativo será valorado y apreciado. Además de utilizar aplicaciones como Duolingo, también considera buscar miembros de la comunidad que puedan unirse a tu organización y ayudar en la comunicación. Recuerda que la clave está en la voluntad de aprender y en el respeto hacia la cultura y el idioma de los demás. Buena suerte en tus esfuerzos y espero que puedas establecer conexiones más fuertes con la comunidad hispana.

It's great that you are aware of this! That's the first step. Don't feel guilty, just figure out what your next steps are. One thing to keep in mind is that just because they are Hispanic/Latino, it does not mean they don't understand or speak English. They could, and simply not  be familiar with English animal welfare-specific terminology.  Or they could have other reasons for not wanting to interact with people they perceive as being authority figures or law enforcement.

Unlike many native English speakers in the USA, people from Spanish speaking countries are generally honored and excited when someone attempts to speak Spanish with them, no matter how badly you mangle it. So putting a little effort into learning even a few basic phrases will make a huge impact! "Hello, how are you, do you have pets, we can help with pets", etc. Use your phone to translate. Download Duolingo and work on the Spanish course. Get someone to translate your flyers and ads for you. And of course work on finding members of the community to join your organization.

HSUS has a Spanish phrasebook you can download for free or purchase a hard copy: https://humanepro.org/page/spanish-phrases-animal-care-organizations