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Interpretation services remain unreliable for people seeking N.H. professional licenses and certifications

B&P barbershop is located in a neighborhood in Manchester where there are many Latino small businesses around. Salsa and merengue play all day, and the six barbers that work there consider themselves a family.
Gabriela Lozada
/
NHPR
Barbers at B&P barbershop in Manchester say they don’t have trouble communicating in English with their clients when it comes to haircut. “It’s the official stuff that is complicated to understand,” said Phillip Paredes, an apprentice at the barbershop.

Andres Rodriguez owns B&P Barber Shop in the heart of Manchester. Last week, he got a letter from the state licensing office about a problem with one of his apprentice's licenses. He doesn't read English, so to avoid confusion, he took the letter to a notary to translate.

The notary’s office told him his license as an instructor could be in danger. Still, Rodriguez didn’t understand why that could be. He was worried about a possible fine for his business.

For many years, Rodriguez has had to find ways around the lack of language access when it comes to processes and questions about licenses. It’s been unclear how to connect with an interpreter at the Office of Licensure and Certification; forms, updates and emails have all been in English.

Earlier coverage from NHPR: 'A good haircut transcends language.' Some barbers say N.H. licensing process could be more accessible.

Phillip Paredes is the apprentice. Like Rodriguez, he is also from the Dominican Republic, with dreams of being a master barber. He arrived in New Hampshire five months ago and is learning English. He found himself at the doors of Rodriguez’s barbershop after some friends told him they would give him an opportunity to learn the job.

Paredes received his own letter indicating he had an issue with his license. He says he worried he had done something wrong.

“All I want to do is fix the problem and apologize if I made a mistake,” Paredes said.

Paredes thought it would be better to talk to someone in person in Concord; he had written an apology letter and had it translated and notarized. Rodriguez read that the licensing office recently told NHPR it had interpretation services, so he called the office asking for an interpreter.

After a few attempts, he said, no one returned his calls.

“Last time, they said they would change the system, but I see nothing has happened,” Rodriguez said, disappointed.

In New Hampshire, there are 50 other professions that require a license. The Office of Professional Licensure and Certification does not track demographic data, but executive director Lindsey Courtney says she recognizes many applicants are immigrants.

When Rodriguez and Paredes got to Concord, they met with Courtney and another employee. They tried to communicate, but much information was lost in translation. Paredes was trying to follow up on what they told him but could only understand bits and pieces parts of the conversation.

“I just need a person who could translate; ten minutes would have been sufficient,” Paredes said.

Worried, both men asked an NHPR reporter to help interpret what they wanted to say. Paredes asked various questions about his license, while Rodriguez asked what the documents they told him to sign meant.

According to the office, interpretation services have been available since August, but Courtney said they haven’t been heavily promoting it. She said she was unsure why they had not announced it on their website but added that the office had helped a couple of people with interpretation since August.

The office will collect data through the spring to know what documents should be translated and to what languages.

“Ideally, they can call and connect with the language bank so we can avoid miscommunication,” Courtney said.

In the end, Rodriguez found out the problem was just paperwork confusion. But he hopes next time the service is, in fact, working.

Gabriela Lozada is a Report for America corps member. Her focus is on Latinx community with original reporting done in Spanish for ¿Qué hay de Nuevo NH?.
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