CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — According to the 2020 U.S. Census, more than 60% of Corpus Christi's population is Hispanic. About half of that number speak a language other than English at home.
Melanie Sandoval, who used to work at a leasing office, says being bilingual often made her a bridge for others.
"If I knew they were struggling to complete a sentence I would gladly translate for them," Sandoval said.
She has seen firsthand the difference translation can make in people's lives.
"We navigated situations where I've had to interpret for medical staff as a child," Sandoval said.
Prior to the English-only push, the Housing Department provided resources in more than 200 languages. The goal was to help people with limited English better access affordable government services.
Sandoval says