Guatemalan Maya Center volunteers break down language barriers for U.S. Census

There’s a population of Guatemalans in Palm Beach County who primarily speak an indigenous Mayan language.

This makes it difficult for key information to reach those communities, like information about the U.S. Census.

MAYAN LANGUAGE.THIS MAKES IT DIFFICULT FORKEY INFORMATION TO REACH THOSECOMMUNITIES LIKE THE U-SCENSUS.

WPTV NEWSCHANNEL 5MICHELLE QUESADA HAS MORE ONTEENAGE GIRLS VOLUNTEERING FORTHE GUATEMALAN MAYA CENTER INLAKE WORTH AND HOW THEY AREBREAKING DOWN LANGUAGEBARRIERS.<< LORENA FELIPE SEBASTIAN ISA JUNIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL& SHESPEAKS THREE LANGUAGES&ENGLISH - SPANISHINDIGENOUS MAYAN LANGUAGE FROMHER PARENTGUATEMALATRANSLATE IMPORTANTINFORMATION TO OUR INDIGENOUSMAYAN LANGUAGE TO HELP OUT THECOMMUNITY TO BE MORE AWARE OFWHATS GOING AROUND THEM SHEAND HER FRIEND RAMONAFRANCISCO PEDRO VOLUNTEER ATTHE GUATEMALAN MAYA CENTERCOMMUNITY RESOURCE FORHISPANIC FAMILIES IN LAKWORTH.

16:29:48 THEY LOOK ATOUR FACEBOOK BECAUSE WE HAVEOUR MAYAN SPEAKERS ON FACEBOOKAND AND THEY SEE, THEY AREMORE CONFIDENT CAUSE ITTHEIR MAYAN LANGUAGE SO THEYPREFER HEARING IT BETTER ANDTHEY GET THE INFORMATION MORETO THEM LORENA AND RAMONAPUBLISH VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE ANDPOST TO FACEBOOK ALL INKANJOBALPOSTS ARE ALL ABOUT THECENSUS.

16:29:09 WE HAD TALKEDABOUT EVERYTHING ABOUT THECENSUS AND EVERYTHING THATTHEY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT THEGIRLS SAY MOST WHO SPEAKKANJOBAL HAVE FALSEIMPRESSIONS ABOUT THE CENSUS&16:29:33 THEIR LIKEINFORMATION, THEY DONIT TO BE REVEALED.

THROUGHTHEIR SOCIAL MEDIA REACH- THETEENAGERS ARE EDUCATING THECOMMUNITY ON WHY PARTICIPATINGIN THE CENSUS IS SO IMPORTANT.AND IN RETURN LORENA SAYS SHEGETS TO PRACTICE PUBLICSPEAKING& 16:30:31 BACK THEN IWAS LIKE SCARED TO TALK INFRONT OF A CAMERA IREALLY THAT SHY NOW BUT ITLIKE GOING AWAY, IT HELPS MEMORE