Nashville mayor, advocates: Disaster assistance must be available in more languages
In the week since a deadly tornado devastated a swathe of Madison, Nashville officials, nonprofits and volunteers have been working around the clock to help those impacted start the road to recovery.
But the disaster, which killed three Madison residents, laid bare a shortcoming in the city's emergency response, Mayor Freddie O'Connell and Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition Executive Director Lisa Sherman Luna said Friday. Recovery assistance, they said, needs to be available in multiple languages and must be tailored to serve multiple cultural communities.
When the storms arrived Saturday, TIRRC immediately began to push out messages through social media in Spanish, warning community members of the coming dangers. On Sunday, the coalition deployed alongside Metro government to assist survivors.
"We knew that it was going to be imperative that nobody was left out and that we were going to need bilingual boots on the ground who could reach these communities," Sherman Luna said. "We have learned since the 2010 flood how important it is to have systems, policies and practices that reach non-English speakers, because they're often the first hit, the worst hit and they are left behind in the relief and recovery process."
On Nesbitt Lane, three neighbors were killed. Joseph Dalton, 37, died using his body to protect his mother and son as the tornado lifted their mobile home off of its foundation, hurling it into the mobile home of 31-year-old Floridalma Gabriel Perez. Perez and her son, 2-year-old Antony Elmer Mendez, also died in the storm. A community memorial will be held for Perez and Mendez on Monday, Dec. 18, according to TIRRC's social media.
O'Connell said Nashville has seen "dramatic improvements" in the response of Nashville's Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster program, which is leading the recovery effort. Those who need assistance or want to offer assistance can find opportunities at nashvilleresponds.com.
O'Connell said TIRRC has been "incredibly supportive" on "how to be effective in reaching our immigrant and new American neighbors."
Metro will also work on ensuring outreach efforts are trauma-informed at the suggestion of state Sen. Charlane Oliver, whose district includes the Madison communities impacted by the tornado.
Perez and her husband, Felipe Mendez, arrived to the United States with their family from Guatemala five months ago. Amid the devastating loss, Felipe must arrange transportation of his wife and son back to Guatemala for funeral services.
The Guatemalan Consulate office in Nashville has also been helpful in assisting the Mendez family, O'Connell said.
The impacts of lost loved ones, destroyed property and trauma has "generational" effects on low-income families, Sherman Luna said.
TIRRC has partnered with Conexion Americas, the Hispanic Family Foundation, Nashville VOAD and community leaders like Cathy Carrillo to provide recovery assistance and translation in the wake of the storm, but it's clear more work needs to be done to improve Nashville's systems as the city will continue to face natural disasters, Sherman Luna said.
Disaster response should be tailored to the community impacted — Metro must consider language access, cultural sensitivity, immigration status and its barriers, and education when crafting assistance for Spanish-speaking communities, she said.
"This moment is a painful reminder, but it's also an opportunity for us to grow and improve and meet the needs," Sherman Luna said. "The Hispanic population is the fastest-growing in Tennessee. It is certainly growing very quickly in Nashville, and we know that in order for our city to recover, we can't leave anybody behind. We have to include all of our neighbors, no matter where they come from or how they got here."
Resources
Resources to assist those impacted in applying for federal aid will be available at the Madison Public Library.
A shelter is available at Madison Church of Christ at 106 Gallatin Pike N.
The Community Resource Center at 218 Omohundro Place is accepting donated goods for impacted families.
More information on available resources and opportunities to help can be found at nashvilleresponds.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville mayor: Tornado help must be available in more languages
