Some 4.1 million Puerto Ricans resided in the 50 U.S. and the District of Columbia in 2007, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

That is a slightly greater number than the population of Puerto Rico itself in 2007, which was 3.9 million. (Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory but all references in this statistical profile to the United States refer only to the 50 states and the District of Columbia.)

Most Puerto Ricans in the United States -- 2.7 million in all -- were born in the 50 states or the District of Columbia. Additionally, one-third of the Puerto Rican population in the U.S. -- 1.4 million -- was born in Puerto Rico.

People born in Puerto Rico are also considered native born because they are U.S. citizens by birth. A small number of Puerto Ricans -- 48,000 -- were born outside of the U.S. or Puerto Rico and were not U.S. citizens by birth. They are considered foreign born.

Puerto Ricans are the second-largest population of Hispanic origin residing in the United States, accounting for 9.1% of the U.S. Hispanic population in 2007. Mexicans constituted 29.2 million, or 64.3%, of the Hispanic population.

On average, Puerto Ricans are older than Hispanics generally but they are younger than the U.S. population. They are less likely to be married than either Hispanics overall or the U.S. population overall.

The majority (55.9%) of Puerto Rican women ages 15 to 44 who had a birth in the 12 months prior to the survey were unmarried. The comparable share for all Hispanic women was 38.1% and the figure for all U.S. women was 33.4%.

Among Puerto Ricans ages 5 and older living in the U.S., most do not speak English at home. Some 20.5% of Puerto Ricans ages 5 and older report speaking English less than very well, compared with 38.8% of all Hispanics.

Puerto Ricans are concentrated in the Northeast, mostly in New York, and in the South, mostly in Florida.

Read the rest of this Pew Hispanic report here >>

1. Puerto Ricans in this statistical profile are persons who self-identified as Hispanics of Puerto Rican origin in the American Community Survey.

Communicate the Right Message, Regardless of Language

Given the changing demographics of today's consumer, many organizations translate or localize their written messages into other languages.

Unfortunately, if you select an unproven vendor you may end up with mistranslated materials. There are ways to avoid that!

Sign up here for your FREE copy of "The Guide to Translation and Localization" now and we'll give you 10% off your next document translation project submitted by August 31, 2009.

PS: Remember to include your mailing address in the brief form on the Web page if you want a physical copy of the book. Otherwise, we'll send you a downloadable PDF version.

Thank you!

Advocacy Update and How You Can Get Involved from Language Line Services President Louis Provenzano

On behalf of Language Line Services and the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA), I'd like to update you on our latest advocacy activities in support of legislation for Limited English Proficient (LEP) patients, a very vulnerable and under-served population.

On July 9th, representatives of our organization, along with IMIA and Washington DC lobbyists, met with key congressional staff and made several recommendations we believe are critical to improving health care reform.

How Can You Take Part?

Language Line Services and IMIA respectfully request your support of these key provisions in national health care reform legislation.

Complete the brief form on that Web page, then download, sign and fax your support letter to key Members of Congress to ensure that LEP citizens have equitable access to quality healthcare through credentialed medical interpreting services.

Again, due to the urgency of the request, we ask you to fax the support letters because of delays with mail to Capitol Hill.

Thank you for your consideration of this important request and please contact me with any questions or for additional information.

Once again, you will find the key provisions in national health care reform legislation and the form to get the Letter to Your Legislators here >>

Sincerely,

Louis F. Provenzano, Jr.
President and Chief Operating Officer
Language Line Services
831.648.5855 (Direct and Fax)

A new report outlines model mental health programs that engage communities and community organizations to build effective services for children and youth.

Caring Across Communities, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is working with 15 sites across the United States to develop school-connected mental health programs that partner with immigrant and refugee families in support of their children's academic success and emotional well-being.

This report outlines programs that engage schools, communities and community organizations to build effective and easily-accessible mental health services for children and youth, and address such issues as:

• The impact of the immigrant and refugee experience;
• Offering school-based mental health services; and,
• Strategies for partnering with immigrant families to support mental health

You may download PDF Adobe Acrobat file of "Partnering with Parents and Families to Support Immigrant and Refugee Children at School" here.

Publication Date: June 2009
Publisher: The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools, The George Washington University

A couple of months ago, I received a call from a Language Line client needing assistance with a homeless woman and her two children.

She was from the Dominican Republic and had nothing left after her husband had just been arrested.

As I started to interpret all the information, I discovered that the client was certain she could not help the woman in any way. The woman was so desperate she kept saying, "there has to be a way!"

The client asked her why she didn't go back to her country if she was starving here, as much as she was there. The woman said if she did not find shelter that day, she would sleep under a bridge with her two children.

The client said to her she could sleep wherever she wanted, but the children were her responsibility and they would be taken away from her, if she dared to do that. At this point, the woman broke into tears and started telling the lady all her pain and suffering.

I listened attentively and relayed that information as quickly and precise as possible. Because of this, the woman's heart was touched, and she said she would put them in a shelter for seven days, and help them find a place to live.

I felt so happy and grateful I could help this mother and her children, and that they no longer had to ponder the idea of sleeping in the streets of NYC."

Limari Colón is a Language Line Services Spanish-language Interpreter

"In Other Words" occasionally share these interpreter stories, so be sure to read every issue.

Click here for current Language Line Services interpreter career opportunities.

Selected News of the Month

• Better Business Bureau Selects Language Line Services for New Language Access Program


• "Do You Speak The Language?" Providing Linguistically Appropriate Care | Trustee Magazine


• Language Line Services' - Cross-Cultural Update for July 2009. Useful Cultural News, Tips and Timely Information


• "Patient Translators Save Money, But Who Pays" - NPR Interviews Language Line's President/COO, Louis Provenzano


• Language Line Services Honored by Nebraska Association for Translators & Interpreters (NATI)

Read more Language Line Services news here >>

Language Line Services, the leader in over-the-phone interpretation, is seeking to increase its interpreter team in many languages.

If you have excellent proficiency in English, with strong listening and comprehension skills as well as good customer service skills, you can become an interpreter for Language Line Services.

Visit www.languageline.com/careers.

View the "How to Become an Interpreter" Video.

Then, click on "Apply Today" under "interpreter Careers" OR "Corporate Careers" and follow the directions.

Here's what a valued client said just the other day about one of Language Line Services' excellent interpreters:

"...interpreter #6100 for Farsi was awesome fantastic and amazing. I am speechless as to how good the interpreter was. We have a very difficult client that he made so easy for me. Thank you..."

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