Illinois Village Debates Official Language – Part 1

by Lauren Nemec

The small village of Carpentersville, Illinois is situated in the Northwestern suburbs of Chicago in the Fox River Valley. It’s your average small American community, with a main street, historical buildings, great pizza joints, baseball fields and friendly neighbors. My memories of Carpentersville make it sound idyllic, though residents might say things are far from perfect, especially now that a fierce debate is raging over a proposal to make English the official language of the village.

In the mid-to-late 1800’s, immigrants from Germany, Sweden and Poland settled in Carpentersville to work in its iron and machinery factories. Now, a century later, Mexican immigrants also go there seeking better opportunities and a higher standard of living. In the 1960’s, Carpentersville was 99.9% white. As of the 2000 census, Hispanics make up more than 40% of the population of 30,000.

Carpentersville currently provides many Spanish-language materials for its residents, including the village newsletter, fire safety handouts, utility bills, information packets for new residents and other useful materials. When the village recently switched to standard garbage disposal receptacles, Spanish-language notices were sent out with the village newsletter. Interpreters help Spanish-speaking residents understand policies that could be beneficial for them.

However, earlier this month a village trustee submitted a controversial proposal that, if passed, would require the Village of Carpentersville to conduct its affairs only in English, putting an end to these multilingual services. According to the Daily Herald (a newspaper serving Chicago’s suburbs), this would mean that “all meetings, proceedings, signage, forms, documents and publications would have to be in English.”

Many argue that this would alienate a significant number of residents and make it difficult for public servants to communicate vital information. Both the Police Chief and Fire Chief of Carpentersville agree that an ordinance like this would effect how they communicate with and assist residents. Indeed, Spanish-speakers in Carpentersville would have a very difficult time getting the health, safety, and legal assistance they need. Carpentersville might also feel the economic effects from high legal fees and businesses leaving town.

The board of trustees has delayed the decision on this proposal until mid-June, in order to give them time to clearly define the proposal, consult with lawyers and gather information to understand how much village business is conducted in languages other than English.

As someone who specializes in the language services industry (and has familial ties in Carpentersville), I am particularly interested in the outcome of this issue and the ramifications it would have, if passed. According to organizations like the American Translators Association and the Common Sense Advisory, the market for language services is currently at about $13 billion and growing at a rate of 15-20% a year. This shows us what should be quite obvious already: in this ever-shrinking world, the need for us to successfully communicate with each other is both essential and immediate. People are living closer together than ever before and we must communicate in whatever language is necessary to get a message successfully delivered.

The Village President, Bill Sarto, puts it simply: “…the point of communication is just that -- to communicate."

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The Carpentersville language issue will be on the agenda at the village board meeting on June 19^th, which just happens to coincide with a Chicago visit I have planned at that time. With any luck, I might be able to attend the meeting and bring back a first-hand account of the developments of this story. Stay tuned…

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Further reading:

English-only law returns to spotlight- Heated issue back in Carpentersville: The Chicago Tribune

Carpentersville delays vote on English-only law: The Beacon News

Using only English a safety issue, some say: The Daily Herald

Carpentersville delays decision on English: The Daily Herald