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Court personnel, judges and magistrates from across Ohio learned about Chinese culture today during a course offered by the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Judicial College.
The course is especially timely given the renewed interest in China because of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, which will conclude on Sunday.
The “New Americans Series: China” course represents the fifth year that the Judicial College and Interpreter Services Program have partnered on courses involving interpreter-related issues. This course covered basic points on the culture and history of China, discussed immigration trends in Ohio, presented resources for court personnel using interpreters in the courts and reviewed the new Supreme Court handbook, “Interpreters in the Judicial System.” The course also explored Chinese immigrants’ cultural differences in communication, legal concepts and customs.
The New Americans Series was conceived in 2006 to introduce court personnel and judicial officers to the significant cultural groups in Ohio. Other cultures that have been explored have included Somalia and Mexico.
“Ohio court statistics show us that there is a significant population of Mandarin and Cantonese speakers in our state,” said Bruno Romero, Interpreter Services Program manager. “Although Chinese immigrants have been in Ohio for more than a century, recent immigration trends make Chinese the fifth most spoken language in Ohio courts. Additionally, it is the number two foreign language used in federal courts.”
More than 25,000 interpretations involving more than 70 different languages are performed every year in Ohio. Data from the latest survey available show that courts in Ohio received 173 requests for interpreters to speak Chinese languages. Ohio ranks 14th in the nation in the number of Chinese citizens. There are more than 22,000 Chinese living in Ohio, according to the 2000 Census. That number is estimated to be much higher in 2008.
Created in 1976 and governed by Gov. Jud. R. V, the Judicial College was established to provide educational programs and activities for Ohio judges. In 1988, the program was expanded to include court referees and magistrates, and in 1990 the college began to provide programs for non-judicial court personnel throughout the state.
Contact: Chris Davey or Bret Crow at 614.387.9250.