Translation Program
Since 1965, the United States has attracted a new wave of immigrants from all around the world. New York City is now even more culturally and linguistically diverse with food, music and a variety of traditions all thriving together in our communities.
This diversity creates both exciting opportunities as well as challenges as we strive to communicate with our new neighbors. How can we share our commonalities, respect our differences, and mutually enrich our lives? A key factor is to cross the language barrier.
The A/AC’s Translation Program assists immigrant communities in understanding important government, civic and human services documents that are written in English. We translate these documents from English to Chinese, Korean and Spanish, and this service is free of charge for non-profit organizations. It is our hope that our Translation Program can help ensure a smooth transition for immigrant communities to become an integral part of American Society.
Translation Guidelines:
To request our free translation services, please fill out the following: Translaton Request Form.pdf
You can then e-mail it at qc.aac@qc.cuny.edu, or fax it to our office at 718-997-3055.
- The Applicant must be a non-profit organization, a government agency or a community organization.
- A commitment to print and distribute the translated document is required.
- Documents should be no longer than ten typed pages. (Lengthier material subject to approval.)
- The Translation Request form must accompany every translation request.
- The contents of the documents should be current and remain current for at least one year, or can be reusable with minor modifications.
- Idiomatic phrases and terms with possible double meanings should be avoided in the document.
- The following credit line is required to appear on all our translated documents:
“Translated by Asian/American Center of Queens College” - We request a copy of the final printed document to be sent to the translation program.
- A commitment to print and distribute the translated material is necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Which languages do you translate?
A. We translate from English to Chinese, Korean, and Spanish.
Q. Will A/AC translate from Chinese, Korean, and Spanish into English?
A. No, only from English into one of those three languages.
Q. Who is eligible to use the service?
A. Any nonprofit organization in the five boroughs of New York City.
Q. Are schools eligible?
A. Yes.
Q. Can a private individual use the service—to translate a diploma, for example?
A. We’re sorry, no, but see the listing below of agencies who may be able to help.
Q. What are the maximum number of pages you translate?
A. Four to ten pages per request. (Longer documents will be translated in exceptional cases, time and funding permitting.)
Q. How long does it take to get a document translated?
A. We require four to six weeks from the time the application is approved.
Q. How many documents can be sent for approval using the same Translation Request form?
A. Each new document requires its own Request form. There is no limit on how many an organization may send.
Language Services Associates
800-305-9673
Geneva Worldwide
212-255-8400
AtlaLang
www.Atlalang.com
Korean Community Service
35-56 156th Street
Flushing, NY
718-365-4390
New York Cirtcle of Translators
www.nyctranslators.org
American Translators Association
www.atanet.org
Assist-NY
www.Assist-NY.com
Tolentine-Zeiser Saint Rita’s Center
for Immigrant and Refugee Services
2342 Andrews Avenue
Bronx, New York 10468
718-365-4390