Behind English and Spanish, Arabic is the third most spoken language in Tennessee. But you won’t find it as an option on the driver’s license exam. That’s even though some less-spoken languages, like German and Japanese are available.
Earlier this year, WPLN’s Curious Nashville looked into why Arabic isn’t offered on Tennessee’s driving test. (You can read that story here.)
At the time, Michael Hogan, who leads the state’s Driver Services Division, said that he’d presented the issue to higher-ups.
“I can’t make any guarantees,” Hogan said. “But I can at least say that the ball is in a better position now than it was a month ago.”
Now, half a year later, Hogan’s department says there have been no changes to the languages offered on the exam. His office also declined an interview.
Meanwhile, more people are calling for added options.
Sabina Mohyuddin is executive director of the American Muslim Advisory Council. That’s one of the groups that make up a new coalition.
“We… just kind of keep getting the run-around, and we really want to see something happen,” Mohyuddin said.
Several grassroots organizations comprise the coalition, called Our State Our Languages. Together, they’re lobbying to change the way Tennessee adds languages to the test.
“We want to create a system where it’s easy to add languages as it’s needed,” Mohyuddin said.
In addition to Arabic, she noted a demand for Somali, Mandarin, Cantonese and Amharic options.
Mohyuddin said not having those choices makes it harder for immigrants to do things like attend English classes and get jobs.
“This is about economic stability, people wanting to work. And this is about being able to take care of yourself and meet your needs, because everyone wants to do it. They’re eager to do it, but this is an unnecessary barrier.”
The group is currently gathering signatures on a petition to increase language access on the exam. Next year they’ll work to get employers to join the cause, too.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM