José Antonio Torbello Paéz from Bloomington suffered a workplace injury to his eye earlier this year. Paéz, who speaks Spanish, felt isolated when he tried to get help.
“They took me to the hospital, and the boss spoke in English; I didn't know what they were talking about. So, I said to the boss: 'But wait, how am I supposed to know what they are going to do to me?'” Paéz said.
Then, they told him they were getting him a translator.
“He explained everything to me, and I finally understood what was happening,” Paéz said.
In the Bloomington-Normal community, there is a significant need for Spanish-speaking volunteer translators. Organizations such as Illinois State University’s Sigma Delta Pi (the National Spanish Honor Society) and Wesley United Methodist Church and community members who volunteer independently are helping fill this need for translating and interpreting.
“It’s going to sound very bad, but I think it is the implicit racism that exists in all organizations, whether medical, legal, etc. People are usually treated worse simply because English is not their first language. They are always going to favor someone from the United States whose first language is English over someone whose first language is Spanish,” said Elena Gracia Sanz, an ISU student and president of Sigma Delta Pi.
Sanz volunteers as a translator because she feels it is necessary to create a healthy environment for immigrants and Spanish speakers in the area.
“I think it is much easier for them to talk to you if they know you know the language. They don’t have to keep looking for cognates. They don’t have to look for an easier way to speak so that you understand them. And I’ve also seen that you can create a lot of bonding simply through language—when they come up to you and say, ‘Oh, you speak Spanish? Where are you from?’” Sanz said.
Independent volunteer Tyler Valdez from Mendota, who attends Illinois State University, said he volunteers to help shine a light on national issues regarding immigration and the treatment of the Hispanic/Latino community.
“There are a lot of different ways that people can view immigrants or people from different backgrounds. If I can use what I've been taught, what I've learned in a good way, that is helping other people, that could maybe shine a better light on some issues,” said Valdez.
The volunteers who spoke with WGLT help Bloomington-Normal’s Hispanic community navigate free resources, medical appointments, legal documentation and educational enrollment. Western Avenue Community Center in Bloomington operates one of the largest programs.
Donelle Pressburger runs the paper distribution drive for Wesley United Methodist Church, giving out paper towels, toilet paper, paper feminine hygiene products and more. Pressburger took over for Karen Dodlin, who founded Wesley's distribution ministry eight years ago.
“We also work pretty closely with the school social workers, and so [we] share our distribution day flyers with the school so they're telling their Hispanic families, ‘This is a resource available in our community. Please utilize it,’” said Pressburger
The need is clear. There were around 11,805 Hispanic people living in McLean County as of 2024, according to Census data. ISU serves as one of the hubs of Hispanic culture in Bloomington-Normal, including Marinelly Castillo, an ISU Spanish professor.
“Here we are, we are wonderful human beings; even though we don't speak the language, we are here sharing a city, sharing a space. Even though we have our culture and they have theirs, we are a melting pot, we are a combination, and we are here—we aren't going anywhere. We have jobs, in one way or another, we pay taxes, and we are giving back to a country.
“I’m going to end with a phrase that is very well-known these days in Venezuela: 'The good ones are the majority.' So, let's focus on the good things, on what we bring, what we leave behind, how we help, and how we can be in solidarity with one another,” Castillo said.
Sigma Delta Pi, the National Spanish Honor Society chapter at ISU, plays a vital role in this ecosystem. The organization offers translation volunteers not only as a service to the community but as a way for students to apply their linguistic skills to real-world advocacy. For Sanz, being at ISU means bridging the gap between the campus and the surrounding city.
“The Spanish-speaking population is present in Bloomington-Normal. There is a very large population here. At the university, I couldn’t tell you exactly how many Hispanic students we have, but there are a great many, and it is a community that is active; it is a community that has bonds between its members, and it is a community that should not be set apart, or pushed aside, or made invisible because it is a community that truly helps others and can contribute so many things to you,” Sanz said.
Angela Bailey, Spanish language professor at Illinois State University, wants members of the community who speak Spanish to know that they need to use their skills to help others and become active members of the community.
"Communication doesn't have to be perfect; it doesn't have to be subject-verb; you don't even have to speak. And if sometimes you can't find the word, you use your hands. Or you have to do whatever—whatever you need to do to communicate with that person who truly needs it, too, because that is what language is, and that is also what being a volunteer is about," said Bailey.
Volunteers who spoke to WGLT want the community of Bloomington-Normal to understand the impact translators have on the community.
“Nobody lives the same life, and you never know what is going on in somebody else's, so just how can I be there for somebody, or think about how I can reach somebody that I may not resonate with, in any terms of life,” said Valdez.
