Language Inclusion in Museums

Asami Robledo-Allen Yamamoto, M.A., is an art educator, doctoral student, and artist advancing equity in museums. Her research focuses on inclusive practices in museums and the preservation of Latino culture.Fuji Robledo Yamamoto, Ph.D., LCSW, is a researcher focused on community-based research, mental health technology, and trauma-informed care. She studied Information Science at the University of Colorado, Boulder.Gabriela Perez, M.A., is a museum professional exploring bilingual programs' impact on underrepresented communities and aiming to empower visitors of all ages.

Language Inclusion in Museums warmly invites readers to reimagine museums as vibrant multilingual spaces where every visitor has the potential to feel heard and valued. Drawing on personal experience, research, and real-world case studies, the authors, who know firsthand the transformative power of language inclusion, offer both inspiration and practical strategies.Whether you are just beginning to explore multilingual programming or looking to deepen existing initiatives, this book provides the insights, encouragement, and tools needed to help museums foster genuine belonging for all visitors.

• Table of Contents· Chapter 1: o The Introductiono Important definitions§ Language§ Dialect§ Emergent bilingual§ Bilingualism§ Multilingualism§ Historically minoritizedo The content of the booko The authorso Hopes for future researcho How to use the booko Hopes for the book· Chapter 2: A Sense Of Belonging In The Museum Settingo Why is it important to design for belonging?o What are the benefits of belonging?o The social brain and a sense of belonging o The harms of social exclusiono How do we move towards inclusion?· Chapter 3: Growing up Bi/Multilingual: Museum Programs for Childreno Building a Strong Foundation: Early Experiences Mattero How Bias Develops: Our Brains are Designed to Form In/Out Groupso The Power of Relationshipso The Bilingual Braino Examples of Museum Programming for Bilingual Children and Families§ Using Storytime to Promote Inclusivity and Bilingual Language Development§ Using Play to Learn§ Supporting Child-Caregiver Relationships by Empowering Caregivers o Museums as a Site for Language Development· Chapter 4: Don’t Forget About Me: Strategies, Benefits, and Reasons for Engagingo The Developing Brain: The Teenage Years§ The Bilingual Teenage Braino How Museums Can Help Teens§ Example Museum Programs for Teenso What about Adults?§ Engaging Adults in the Museumo Learning for All · Chapter 5: Understanding the Visitors: The Social Impact of Bi/Multilingualismo How Understanding the Community Helps Design Programs§ Participant demographics§ Language§ Generations § Participants and Museums§ Family Ties§ Marketing § Testimonies § Closing Thoughtso Museum Social Impact Toolkit § Development of the survey§ Participants of the study § MOMSI Study Provided Support for Social Impacts of Museum§ Promising Results but Still Much to Learno Next Steps: Ensuring Survey Data is Actionable· Chapter 6: Beyond the Walls: Building Bi/Multilingual Community Partnershipso Community Work Definitionso Knocking down walls: Bilingual Community Engagement § Community celebrations: Día de los Muertos: Anonymous Writer #1§ A High School Mentorship: 1:1 Relationships with Community Members: Anonymous Writer #2§ A Community Committee: Anonymous Writer #3§ Museums doing the worko Final Thoughts· Chapter 7: Integrating Multilingual Strategies Inside the Museumo Bilingual Museum Case Studies§ Multilingual Interpretation in Science Centers and Museums§ Bilingual Exhibition Research Initiative: Institutional and intergenerational experiences with bilingual exhibitionso Strategies for Linguistically Equitable Texts and Labels§ Design§ Universal Design§ Plain Language§ Universal Symbolso Museum Examples§ The Phoenix Art Museum§ The El Paso Museum of Art§ The National Museum of the American Latinoo Final Thoughts· Chapter 8: Multilingual Accessibility Efforts: Reaching the Multilingual D/disabled Communityo Linguistic Accessibility§ American Sign Language Access Programs § Protactile Access Program Initiatives§ Braille in the Gallerieso Multilingual Access Programs§ The Weisman Art Museum§ Access Smithsonian § The Truth of Access Programso Accessibility is More Than Programmatic o A Call to Action· Chapter 9: Employee Care: Avoiding Burnout and Tokenization and Advocating for Employeeso What is burnout?§ The Impacts of Burnout§ Causes of Burnout and Possible Interventions § Tokenization and Burnout · Personal Story of an Anonymous Museum Educatoro Bilingual and Bicultural Employees§ The Bilingual Stipend§ Recruiting multilingual staff members o A Supportive Environment Promotes Equity· Chapter 10: Content versus Culture: Translating Beyond the Texto The Art of Translating§ Popular Culture Exampleso Understanding Translations§ Translation Vocabulary § Translation Certification§ Translation Tools§ Processeso Final Thoughts· Chapter 11: No Longer Lost in Translation: Museum Translation Style Guideso Language policies and planning in museums§ Language Planning§ Language Policy§ Threat Inversion§ Community’s role in language policy planningo Translation Style Guides§ Definition§ What is inside a translation style guide?§ Examples· The National Park Service (NPS)· The National Parent Teacher Association (NPTA)· The National Institutes of Health (NIH)o Final Thoughts· Chapter 12: The Bi/Multilingual Museum Onlineo Online Linguistic Accesso The Linguistic Museum: A Website Audit§ Website Audit Process· The National September 11 Memorial & Museum· The Newark Museum of Art· Fenimore Art Museum · Whitney Museum of American Art § Web Audit Takeawayo Online Linguistic Access Guidelines§ Self-Evaluation § Becoming a Bilingual Museum§ Translating Website Content· A Note about Translation · Language Translation Tools· Translated Webpage· Supporting ASL· Images · Videos and Audio o Museums as Agent of Social Change· Chapter 13: The Multilingual Museum t Toolkito Step 1§ The Mission and Vision§ Museum Positionalityo Step 2§ Self- Assessment · Extra recommendations § Institutional Assessment· Internal reflection · External Reflection § Community Mapping and pitching· Community Mappingo Creating a Linguistic Profile: Who is your Community?o Community Input: What is the community saying?o Partner Input: Who is serving the community?· The Pitch Decko Templates, Ideas, and More!§ Language Acknowledgement Statement§ On-site Experiences· Program Name: Community Voices§ Virtual Programming§ Building Multilingual Community Relationships· Program Name: Translation Town Halls§ Equitable Employee Handbooks§ Evaluation of Progress: Metrics and Methods· Suggested Evaluation Methods o Final Thoughts