Students in the course Translation Workshop and Independent Study student Vanessa Guzman in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese translated documents into Spanish for Webster City and the Kendall Young Library in order to serve the community’s growing Hispanic population.
Webster City has a small population of first and second generation immigrants, particularly families originally from Laos and Latin American countries. As the city becomes more diverse and attracts residents from across the world, community leaders hope to ensure that new residents can smoothly transition into the community and easily access information about local services and the community. For some families where English is the second language, important information in their native language can help them better integrate and feel welcomed into the community. These efforts have become increasingly important with the introduction of a new pork processing facility located near Webster City. Economic impact studies suggest that Hamilton County can expect up to 2,000 new residents, many of whom may be immigrants to the US. University of Iowa students studying translation provided assistance by translating several important community documents into Spanish.