About HLB
The Hawaiʻi Language Bank, a program of Pacific Gateway Center, connects organizations with professional interpreters and translators fluent in over 30 languages spoken across the islands. Our services ensure equitable access for immigrant and refugee communities in Hawaiʻi
Serving HawaiÊ»i’s communities since 1975
The only language service grounded in HawaiÊ»i’s cultural and linguistic landscape
Born in Hawaiʻi. Bridging languages for over a decade
Services
Interpretation Services
In-person
Phone (OPI)
Video Remote (VRI)
Translation Services
Accurate and culturally appropriate document translations (no usage of AI)
Documents (Health, Education, Social Services, Legal, Government, and more)
Audio
Certification of Translation
with Notarization
Languages Available
Arabic
Armenian
Banga
Bengali
Burmese
Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin)
Chuukese
Dongri
Figan
French
Gujrati
Hakka
Hawaiian
Hindi
Ilocano
Indonesian
Japanese
Kashmiri
Kapingamarangi
Korean
Kosraean
Laotian
Marshallese
Mongolian
Mortlockese
Nepalese
Pakistani
Pahari
Persian/Farsi
Pohnpeian
Polish
Portuguese
Punjabi
Russian
Samoan
Sign Language
Spanish
Tagalog
Thai
Telugu
Tongan
Ukrainian
Urdu
Vietnamese
Visayan/Cebuano
Yapese
Connecting communities in 30+ languages 🌎
Why Choose HLB
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Local Expertise
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Community Impact
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Real Linguists
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Fast-response
Equal opportunity for non-English speakers
In the state of Hawai’i where 25.9% of the population speaks a language other than English at home, our program found immense success at supporting equity in social development through language access.
For this reason we are entrusted by nearly 5,000 clients per year to provide interpreters and translators so
that people have the ability to
communicate with and attain information from a variety of sources including healthcare providers, education professionals, social service providers, legal service providers, and more.
Given our experience and dedication to serving low English proficiency individuals, we believe our services can provide you with the most satisfactory results. At present, our Hawaii Language Bank has 50+ languages available and over 100 active linguists (interpreters and translators).
​​To Apply as an HLB Linguist:
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Provide documentation on educational background, certificates and/or degrees earned.
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Provide examples of translation work (if applicable).
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Successfully pass proficiency tests in both English and the targeted language.
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Successfully pass confidentiality tests (HIPAA and FERPA)
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Be a registered Independent Contractor. You must obtain a General Excise Tax (GET) license and a business registered name with all necessary professional insurance coverage.
More detailed information will be provided via email.