According to “Native Tongue,” there are an estimated 20,000 people of Mayan heritage in San Francisco, many of which do not speak Spanish. When legal or other services are required, it is difficult to find interpreters.
Among the languages in demand are Ch’ol (ctu), K’iche‘ (quc), Mam (mam), Ts’eltal or Tzeltal (tzh), Uspanteko or Uspantek (usp), and Yucatec Maya (yua).
Classes are being offered to help interpreters deliver better services to their clients.
Living Languages 