Huntington debuts Spanish newsletter as part of new bilingual effort that 'helps people connect'

A Spanish language version of the Town of Huntington's monthly newsletter launched last month, part of what government officials called an expanding effort to communicate better with Spanish-speaking constituents.

Town officials said at an Oct. 4 local celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month that residents also will start to see town social media posts in Spanish, and whenever possible, Spanish language translations at news conferences.

Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth said the goal is to eventually have everything on the town's website translated into Spanish.

He said it was a practical decision to put a new emphasis on bilingual communications, including producing the town's newsletter "The Liberty" in Spanish, given the growing number of Spanish-speaking residents.

“Ensuring every resident of the town is communicated to clearly is of the highest importance,” Smyth added in an interview.

Spanish is the second most spoken language in the town after English, with Haitian Creole coming in third, town officials said.   

In 2010, the town’s Hispanic population was 22,362, out of a total population of 203,264, according to the U.S. Census. In 2020, the most recent census, the numbers changed to 31,403 and 204,127, respectively.

The English version of the newsletter, started in July 2022, has 83,887 subscribers, according to town officials. They said the Spanish newsletter version has 400 subscribers so far.

Both versions of the newsletter, which includes event announcements and other useful tips, is available online, with a limited number of printed copies at Town Hall, the Senior Center on Park Avenue and libraries. 

Laura Rivera, 33, a town community service employee who also is assigned to its communications office, is providing translation services for the new initiatives. 

“I think this is a great opportunity to give back to Spanish speaking people who sometimes hide, or are afraid to ask questions and then don’t know what’s going on … The response I get from people is amazing," she said in an interview.

Huntington Station resident Norman Gomez-Vasquez, 28, a member of Huntington's Hispanic Task Force, said the town's new effort to provide communications in Spanish will relieve stress for many families.

The insurance broker said only Spanish was spoken in his Long Island home when he was young, and he didn't learn English until he was about 11 years old — sometimes creating frustrating situations.

“It will be helpful to parents who often rely on their English-speaking children to translate information for them,” Gomez-Vasquez said of the town's bilingual communications. “They will be able get the information for themselves.”

Huntington Station-based attorney Xavier Palacios, who serves as Huntington School Board president, called the town's move a positive sign that local officials value diversity — something he said is especially important to signal to young people.

“But personally, as a business owner, I think it’s taken too long for such initiatives to be adopted. We’re here, we add value to the community both in culture and as taxpayers and should be recognized," the law practitioner said of Spanish language speakers.

Dan Rivera, 41, pastor of Huntington Assembly of God Church in Huntington Station, has a congregation that includes people from more than 27 countries. His main sermon is in English but last month he introduced a separate Spanish language church service.

The pastor applauded the town for taking steps to communicate directly with one of its largest populations.

“It’s nice to share in a language that people understand without having to be translated,” Rivera added. “This helps people connect.”