ASL / Spanish / English Trilingualism of Hispanic / Latino Deaf Children in the United States

We welcome our new and first Guest Writer for Interpreters Unidos. Mathew Call is a trilingual interpreter that has a passion for the Deaf Latin@ Community. His knowledge combined with his passion makes him one great trilingual interpreter. We hope the information we put on here helps and enlightens all of you in the community. Thank you Mathew Call for allowing me to post this.

Si Se Puede!!

Gilberto Partida
Trilingual Interpreter
Interpreter Unidos Author


ASL / Spanish / English Trilingualism of Hispanic / Latino Deaf Children in the United States

"Hispanics/Latinos now comprise the largest ethnic/cultural minority group in the United States. The 2000 U.S. Census counted 35.3 million Hispanics/Latinos or 12.5% of the general population. Those numbers are even higher today. By 2050 that number will have reached approximately 102.5 million. In other words one in every eight Americans is Hispanic/Latino now, and in less that fifty years one in every four Americans will be Hispanic/Latino. Currently about fifteen million are of school age: twenty-one years or younger (U.S. Census Bureau). Of these fifteen million, nearly ten thousand are deaf or hard of hearing. This may seem like a comparatively small number but it is actually 24.5% of the entire deaf/hard of hearing student population in the United States, 41.4% of all deaf/hard of hearing students in the West, and the majority (53.9%) of the deaf/hard of hearing students in California (Gallaudet Research Institute). The dominant language used in most of these students’ homes is Spanish (Delgado 2001). As the general Hispanic/Latino population increases, so will the deaf Hispanic/Latino population. These demographics translate into serious implications for the field of Deaf Education."

Please click here to read the rest of the article. You can also contact Mathew Call at call.trilingual@gmail.com