Editor’s note: KNBA reporter Rhonda McBride was invited to moderate a recent Asian American Pacific Islander mayoral forum. The organizers crafted the candidate questions. This is her account of the event.
Seven of Anchorage’s 10 mayoral candidates this year attended the city’s first mayoral forum hosted by Asian American Pacific Islander groups over the weekend.
Only three did not attend Saturday’s forum at the Asian Alaskan Cultural Center in Northwood Elementary School: Nick Danger, Dustin Darden and Jenny Di Grappa.
(Here’s a link to watch the entire forum. )
Lucy Hansen, a representative of the Samoan community, read the first question to candidates. She asked about the city of Anchorage’s language access policy, which requires city departments to learn how to assist citizens with language barriers — speaking for about a minute in Samoan.
Phil Isley, the first candidate to take the question, was a good sport.
“Would you go over the question again? I’m not sure I understood it at all,” Isley said, before it was asked again in English.
Forum organizers wanted to spring this moment on the candidates, so they could experience the frustration immigrants feel when they face language barriers.
Bill Popp said he has a plan for implementing the municipality’s language access policy.
“Under my administration, we’d be working hard, first and foremost, to inventory the language skills with the…
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