Immigration has been one of the hot topics for some time now, a subject that still affects the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community today. The state of Arizona has been frequently on the news in regards to their new law that was passed and took affect a few days ago. Arizona passed the legislative act of SB 1070 that would incriminate those caught without the proper documentation to be living in the U.S. Those that shelter or transport undocumented immigrants would also be in danger of receiving a fine or punishment for their help. Jan Brewer the Governor of Arizona has been actively campaigning to implement SB 1070. In her videos and interviews, she is constantly blaming undocumented immigrants as the cause of many crimes, drug smuggling and an overall burden to the state. Many have been opposing the act including many groups, states, and politicians. Numerous groups have found ways to protest the new law by boycotting Arizona therefore affecting their economy while standing in solidarity with many activists. Interpreters Unidos also believes this law is wrong and unconstitutional. It promotes racism, separates families and does not address the issues that will actually help decrease undocumented immigrants to move to the U.S. SB 1070 is a law that will undoubtedly affect the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community as well as the interpreting community.
We recently celebrated the anniversary of ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), a vital law that changed the life of many Americans. Even the RID Views dedicated the whole front cover to ADA. While the Deaf community here in the U.S has made a lot of progress, many other countries are still fighting a never ending battle. Many Deaf in Latin America as well as many other places are still fighting to get the basic services of interpreting. Often times Deaf people in Latin America have to ask family members or other friends in the community to interpret for them. School usually is not an option for the deaf and when it is accessible it usually is not taught in sign language. Many move to the U.S as a hope for a better and more accessible future. For many Latino parents of deaf children, moving to the U.S is their only opportunity to give their son or daughter a chance to a better life.
I attended the Deaf Latino Conference in Chicago IL this past May. While there, I was lucky enough to attend Howard A. Rosenblum’s workshop on the rights of the Deaf around the world. It was definitely a great workshop and Howard was a great speaker. Once again I was reminded of the progress we have made here in the U.S and the much progress that the rest of the world still has to do. This is the reason why many have the need and the dream to come to the U.S. When in the U.S many Deaf are scared to get deported and go back to a place that often times they have become unfamiliar with. Some deaf and hard of hearing people have lived in the U.S since they were young and deporting them would cause them much harm. Families are being separated when parents of the Deaf are going to work but never come home because they have been arrested during a raid. It was all this that made me write this entry in regards to immigration. It is essential to know how as interpreters we should be conscious of the issues many immigrant deaf communities face, especially since more than half the deaf population in California is Latin@. Soon the Latino Deaf population in the U.S will be the majority so it’s time we begin to understand our consumer to a greater extent.
As interpreters we are continuously working with a variety of consumers that might or might not be undocumented. We could be working in a k-12 or post secondary setting and interpreting for a student who you might not know is an AB 540/undocumented student. At such an intense time for undocumented immigrants, it is very possible for our deaf and hard of hearing consumers to be calling various organizations, immigration lawyers and churches to receive help. It is essential that as freelance or VRS interpreters we maintain the upmost confidentiality seeing as one slip can mean a horrible outcome for our consumers. I’ve decided to list a few important points when working with Latino or any person that might be undocumented or directly affected by it:
• Try not to place judgment on the consumer. As a son of immigrant parents I understand and perceive immigration as a hope for a better future and don’t attach the negative stigma. It is important that other interpreters do as well and try to understand it by becoming more informed.
• Try to understand the consumer’s experience. Many consumers both hearing and deaf will never question authority for the fear of being deported or having attention given to them. Sometimes we are the only person that the consumer feels understands them. Understanding the culture, socioeconomic status, race, gender etc..will help you interpret properly and facilitate communication. Sometimes just giving a smile during the interpreting to the consumer can let them know you are not there as a position of authority but as a neutral party. That will be able to help the communication process go much more smoothly.
• Be even more mindful of your voicing. Interpreters are always working hard to make decisions on what or how to voice, such as Register, Vocabulary, and knowing your audience. The same approach needs to be done when working with undocumented immigrants. When voicing for a deaf consumer it’s important we are careful on the choice of words we use. For example using “undocumented immigrant” compared to “illegal immigrant” can make the biggest difference on how the consumer is viewed. “Illegal immigrant” is unquestionably a criminalized version of “undocumented immigrant”. By using “undocumented immigrant” you are still conveying the message and staying neutral, Of course unless our consumer purposely uses “illegal immigrant” then our job is to voice that exactly.
• “Interpreters adhere to standards of confidential communication.” RID Tenet. I wanted to make sure to remind everyone to keep all information confidential. It is crucial that we follow this tenet since one slip can cause the deportation of someone. This can be detrimental to families and to our consumer. Remember it’s not only our consumer that is affected by this but everyone related to them.
It is a fact that as interpreters we carry a power in which we must recognize. We have control of the communication process and often all parties involved are trusting we convey the message correctly. It is for this reason, this privilege that we take responsibility for our privilege and take everything in to consideration when interpreting. The way we interpret will have a direct impact on their lives. Let’s be conscious of this and make the appropriate decisions when interpreting. Let’s continue our advocacy as an ally and continue to learn the issues that affect the community. Let’s remember that as interpreters our income comes from the services given to our consumer (Deaf, Latino, Undocumented, Gay etc.). So it is important we fight for the rights for all people including undocumented immigrants. We are not only here to work as interpreters, but to also work as an ally to a community who has given us so much. Interpreters Unidos will keep fighting for change and equality. Let’s hope to see a better future for all Americans including immigrants.
Si Se Puede!!!
Gilberto Partida
Trilingual Interpreter
Interpreters Unidos Author
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