As Rural America Grows More Diverse, Language Access Is Slow To Take Hold

The share of people who are Hispanic or Latino has grown to a little more than a quarter of the population in Elko, Nevada, a small city in the remote northeastern corner of the state. That growth in diversity has also led to an increasing number of people who speak a language other than English at home, with Spanish spoken in nearly 15 percent of households in Elko County, which has a population of about 54,000.

That increasing diversity is part of a wider trend. While rural America remains largely White and predominantly English-speaking, its White population decreased by about 2 million from 2010 to 2020, an analysis by the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire found. The percentage of people who are members of a racial or ethnic minority living in rural areas increased from 20 percent to 24 percent, with the largest share Hispanic.

Language access is protected federally, and 11 states plus D.C. have created broad policies for their residents. More states have laws targeting specific sectors, such as education or health care.

At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, state and local governments lacking strong language-access systems struggled to communicate vital public health information to diverse communities. An analysis of covid information posted on health department websites of the 10 most populous U.S. cities found it was not fully provided in Spanish.

Despite the growing need caused by limited English proficiency in rural areas, state lawmakers in Nevada left out smaller counties from a recently enacted statewide language-access law. More state and local governments have enacted similar measures in the past few years, but they’re concentrated in urban or suburban jurisdictions.

Implementing the laws is a challenge, researchers say, as standards can vary across state agencies and localities, making it difficult to ensure high-quality assistance for speakers of various languages. Not providing language access to people who need it is not only a violation of civil rights protected by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, but it also can create public health and safety concerns, said Jake Hofstetter, a policy analyst for the Migration Policy Institute, a think tank focused on immigration policy and research.

Democratic state Sen. Edgar Flores, who represents part of Clark County, Nevada, and co-sponsored the state’s most recent language-access law, approved in 2023, said lawmakers faced pushback from state agencies. He said officials cited limited staffing and funding.

“I think, unfortunately, our rural jurisdictions are already incredibly limited with resources and, at the time of this request, there was a concern that they were not in a position to meet the requirements,” Flores said.

But as the number of state and local language-access policies increases, Hofstetter said he expects rural areas will be included. And as the Nevada Legislature convenes again in February, Flores said he’s certain there will be at least one language-access bill to consider.

“We have folks from all walks of life who have now made Nevada their home,” Flores said. “We have an obligation to them.”

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