Lacking the Language

Halfway through yesterday’s canvassing took me to two large apartment buildings that house senior citizens. But these are not just any seniors. They are all of Asian descent.

As I signed in as a visitor, the Middle Eastern looking guy at the desk warned me that they didn’t speak English. He was quick to show me his Obama tee shirt under his white shirt.

I know lots of languages, but no Asian languages. Thinking that I’m pretty good at making myself understood, I told him I would take my chances and headed on up to the second floor of one of the buildings. My thought was their English must be at least minimal if they had registered to vote. (Remember that my list was of people who were registered but who remained undecided.)

Was I ever mistaken. After staring at multiple smiling totally-uncomprehending faces, I realized that it would be impossible to canvass these two buildings without the knowledge of Vietnamese and Korean.

I chatted with the desk guy on the way out and learned a little more. Apparently the residents who were citizens had been taken by bus to register to vote. I’m sure there were people accompanying them who spoke the necessary Asian languages. He also commented that many of them have children in the area who are still very involved in their parents’ lives.

I felt rather badly taking back virtually half my assignment uncanvassed, but I felt I had no other choice than to recommend that someone return with the necessary language skills.

The first half of my canvassing netted an equal number of Obama and McCain supporters. There were a couple of others who would gladly vote for Obama if they were citizens. Maybe in 2012.

Today’s experience was such a powerful reminder that there are still enclaves of people for whom English is a totally foreign and unknown language. Their vote in the November Presidential election will count just the same as mine.