WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) urged the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to translate the financial literacy resources under their Money Smart program – an educational curriculum designed to help low- and moderate-income individuals improve their financial skills – into Polish. In his letter to Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg of the FDIC, Murphy highlighted the importance of the Money Smart program to Connecticut’s residents looking to better navigate the banking system, pursue ownership of homes and small businesses, and attend college, and noted that hundreds of thousands of Polish individuals in Connecticut and across the country would benefit from the program if the documents were translated into Polish. Murphy first learned about the Money Smart program from the Neighborhood Housing Services of New Britain, which serves hundreds of working families in the Greater New Britain community.  

“According to the U.S. English Foundation, Connecticut has 38,940 Polish speakers, making it one of largest Polish communities in the United States,” Murphy wrote. “As organizations continue to help Connecticut’s Polish residents and small business owners navigate the banking system, pursue home ownership, and attend college, the access to tools such as FDIC’s Money Smart program is essential. The translation of these materials into Polish would also have an impact on neighboring states like New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts who also have a large Polish speaking population. Therefore, as you consider the revision of curriculum for the Money Smart program and other FDIC educational materials, I strongly urge you to expand the opportunity to use these materials to thousands of additional Connecticut residents by translating them into Polish.”


A copy of the letter in English can be downloaded here.

A copy of the letter in Polish can be downloaded here.

The full text of the letter is below:


Martin J. Gruenberg, Chairman

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

550 17th Street NW – MB-6028

Washington, DC 20429


RE:      Money Smart and Connecticut’s Polish speaking residents

Chairman Gruenberg,

I write to express my interest in FDIC’s Money Smart curriculum, and ask that you translate these important financial literary documents into Polish. According to the U.S. English Foundation, Connecticut has 38,940 Polish speakers, making it one of largest Polish communities in the United States.  Further, Hartford County is home to an estimated 20,555 Polish speakers.  For New Britain, Connecticut and Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS), who brought this issue to my attention, an estimated 20% or 14,257 of residents are of Polish descent.

New Britain’s Broad Street neighborhood has been home to a considerable number of Polish businesses and families since 1890. The city’s Polish population continues to thrive today. As organizations like NHS continue to help New Britain’s Polish residents and small business owners navigate the banking system, pursue home ownership, and attend college, the access to tools such as FDIC’s Money Smart is essential.

The translation of these materials into Polish would have an impact on neighboring states like New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts who also have a large Polish speaking population.  These four states along with Illinois are home to over 440,000 Polish speakers. Therefore, as you consider the revision of curriculum for the Money Smart program and other FDIC educational materials, I strongly urge you to expand the opportunity to use these materials to thousands of additional Connecticut residents by translating them into Polish.

Sincerely,

CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY

United States Senate