Latin@s Sordos; INVITES YOU TO COLLEGE SESSION (Los Angeles)

Interpreting for Undocumented Immigrants

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

Life's Soundtrack

“Cisco” is a Deaf Latino poet whose poetry often addresses many issues. His fascination with poetry and words has lead him to think how both can portray how people feel and think. He hopes his poetry will force others to look outside the box and no longer judge but instead inspire others. It’s for that reason that we welcome Cisco as a Guest poet on Interpreters Unidos. Thanks for letting us share your thoughts.

Gilberto Partida
Trilingual Interpreter
Interpreters Unidos Author

Life's Soundtrack

Life’s in pain, her face bathes in tears of agonies,
Her heart bleeding tragedies,
Tremendous pain,
And we take her name in vain,
She gently falls onto my arms,
Knowing I won’t do any harm,
Drove her to the E.R,
She gently whispers to my ear, the happy moments of me and H.E.R*,
I stand behind a window overseeing her operation,
She becomes pale, stale as she inhales the anesthetic,
My movements becomes astatic,
Before her tear-filled eyelids begin to close,
She sends me her love; another dose,
They take a look at her heart, struggles encrypted,
They take a look at her brain, struggles depicted,
And now it’s real, her dreams unreel,
He stares at the sky,
Ponders and wonders about his place in the future,
Tries to get a closer look, but it’s all a blur.

She stares at the sky; waiting for an Angel to drop from above,
To offer her the most precious thing in life: love,
But then it flips to the ugly side,
Two worlds collide,
Eyes averted, and lives diverted,
Two lives juxtaposed so close,
Friction that requires a line,
Because sooner or later the relationship will be undermined,
Yearning for our parent’s trust,
But instead in our friends they entrust,
Ugliness ensues, worthlessness pursues,
Family doubting her self-reliance,
But she will not give any weak compliance,
Don’t pass the negative judgment,
You won’t get my consent,
Piles of employments,
Yet no deployments,
Finishing school, that’s my progression,
Hoping it’ll lead me to a profession,
The past meticulously monitored my self-esteem,
The future’s here now, I’m going strong at full steam.

Emotional independence; got it,
Financial independence; crave it,
He gives her love and trust as a treasure,
When under that mask she’s only a lady of pleasure,
The sides reverse, he becomes perverse,
Single mother, where’s the father? He didn’t bother,
Are my choices wrong or right?
Do I follow or stray from the light?
After all these mental struggles,
I found myself,
But I “want to be set free from myself,”*
Those we weren’t able to save,
We didn’t know this pain was paved,
Swallowing the pain from the events so tragic,
That’s the only way to comprehend, no magic,
Life’s operation is over,
Her brain is upbeat,
Her heart begin to beat, no flatline,
You can’t understand life in a straight line,
That’s why your perception must be slanted,
Everything given will not always be enchanted,
Life’s resembles a homeless man,
Holding up a sign that read “Penny for your thoughts,”
Don’t point fingers,
In all of us there is still pain that lingers,
In all of us there are imperfect perfections,
And that will always remain intact,
As forever we dance to life’s soundtrack…

-Cisco



*H.E.R = Harmony Eases Regression
*”Want to be set free from myself” = Quoted by an anonymous individual.

I want to give a big THANKS to those who shared their struggles with me. Please applaud them!

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