ANDERSON — Nora Punales was happy to get a job at the Anderson Police Department as a receptionist.
Turns out, the police department got a bargain; Punales speaks fluent English and Spanish. Those skills have helped the department and Hispanic visitors or prisoners cross the language barrier nearly every day.
It’s not that she’s not needed as a receptionist – she does “a little bit of everything” in that job. But beyond some police officers with limited Spanish skills, she’s the only person staff members can call on to help translate.
Anderson, like most Southern towns, has seen the growth of its Hispanic population.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s three-year estimates for 2005-2007, about 2 percent, or 3,200, of Anderson County residents are Hispanic. But officials have long said the Census underestimates the number of Hispanics because they are reluctant to be counted.
The Pew Hispanic Center put the Anderson County number at 3,531 in 2007. The center reported that 2,500 Hispanics were living in Oconee County in 2007, about 4 percent of the population. In Greenville County, the number was more than 29,000 in 2007.
Punales, 53, was hired in November on a temporary basis, but officials have been able to find enough money to continue her job for another year. She moved here after her husband began a job as a welder.
Her daily duties involve answering the phones, filing, helping people with questions and other duties. But her translation skills now are put to use in “a good 40 to 45 percent” of the job, she said.
It may be helping someone who speaks little English who needs to know about visitation for an inmate, or translating an officer’s explanation of the charges against someone brought to the station. Or it could be simply giving someone directions to another government agency, such as Department of Motor Vehicles or to Social Security offices.
Punales, who moved to Anderson about a year ago, was not expecting to need her language skills much when she took the job. But that quickly changed.
“I was very surprised when I moved here there were so many Spanish-speaking people,” she said.
The three dialects she’s heard are from Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, she said.
She discovered there were a number of people coming to the police department front desk unable to explain what they needed.
“Some come in, and I notice they have a problem speaking,” she said. “When I talk to them, they say, ‘Oh God, thank you for having someone who speaks Spanish.’”
Some people bring their children to translate, but children may not know how to explain some words appropriately, Punales said.
Angela White, a medical assistant at the department, said Punales is able to put Spanish-speaking visitors or inmates at ease.
“Once she opens her mouth, and they realize someone understands what they are saying, they calm down,” White said. “That fear is gone.”
When a Spanish-speaking inmate needs medical help, Punales is called to translate for the inmate and the nurse.
Punales’ supervisor, Amy Sexton, said the staff members have done the best they could in the past, trying to write down information or find some common connection.
“We tried to talk ourselves, but usually they don’t understand,” Sexton said. “It’s made a great difference in being able to communicate.”
Now, people who know Punales can help them will seek her out at the station.
“We have Spanish-speaking people call and ask for her,” said Sue Miller, a detention officer.
Punales, who is originally from Cuba, said her family spoke Spanish at home, and she spoke English at school. She believes people who come to the United States should adapt to the culture.
“You are coming to a place that’s not your place, so you have to learn … the culture,” she said.
The police department is a good place to work, she said.
“Ever since I started working here, I have really enjoyed it,” she said. “It is a very nice atmosphere.”
Source: http://www.independentmail.com/news/2009/aug/01/police-receptionst-anderson-helps-break-spanish-la/
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