Title: Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
Fact: Though it’s been nearly 40 years since the Lau v. Nichols (1974) decision, a landmark ruling that expanded the rights of non-English speaking students in America, language access still remains a critical civil rights issue today for Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and other immigrant communities. In 2010, over 25 million individuals—about 9 percent of the U.S. population over age 5—reported having limited English proficiency. English is not spoken at home for over two-thirds of Asian Americans and nearly one-third of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.