Decision Making in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse ... · Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities Authentic Teams ... Black Case Study #1 ... Making in Culturally

Decision Making inCulturally and Linguistically Diverse

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Authentic Teams

NMIP - Case Studies

National Multicultural Interpreter ProjectDecision Making in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities - Creating AuthenticTeamsAfrican American/Black Case StudiesAfrican American/Black Case Study #1

An interpreter of color (non-black) was sent to interpret at a large federal facility for an African Americanprogram as part of their annual black history month celebration. When the interpreter arrived, they weregiven a copy of the program and took their place on stage as the program began. The first person totake the stage was a white female who in turn introduced the keynote speaker for the evening. Thekeynote address was being presented by an African American/Black male speaking on the topic of equalopportunity. During his presentation, the speaker referenced several biblical quotations which thepredominantly black audience responded with great enthusiasm, “call and response” discourse, alongwith hand waving gestures. The interpreter, not familiar with this type presentation style and theoverwhelming response from the audience, was unable to follow the lecture. The interpreter sensing areligious overtone was stunned by the overall dynamics between the presenter and his audience andbegan to question the separation between church and state at a governmental function.

What are the issues? What strategies could be employed with the community?

African American/Black Case Study #2

An African American/Black interpreter arrived to a community assignment and met their co-interpreterwho is White. Having worked with the couple before, the African American/Black interpreter was keenlyaware of the communication style and discourse that would occur between the African American/Blackhearing husband and his African American/Black Deaf wife. While teaming the African American/Blackinterpreter was aware of the need for the husband to be included in the dialogue and made sure hiscomments were interpreted and acknowledged by his wife. When it came time to switch, since most ofthe questions at this meeting were posed to the wife, the White interpreter focused all of her attention onthe wife and pretty much tuned out the husband, brushing off any minor comments he may have said.The African American/Black interpreter right away notices the difference in the communication dynamicsand a marked change in the tone of the meeting. In an attempt to remedy the situation, the AfricanAmerican/Black interpreter asks for a short break to talk over the dynamics of the situation with her co-interpreter. The White interpreter feels everything is going fine and brushes off the AfricanAmerican/Black interpreters comments, says too much is being made out of nothing , then proceeds togo back in the room. The assignment continues and when it is over, even the Social Worker made acomment regarding how the meeting changed. The African American/Black interpreter noticed the cleardifference of communication between the two turns and left the assignment vowing not to work with thatparticular interpreter ever again. The White interpreter left clueless regarding the professional rift inrelations.



At a regional conference the interpreting team is meeting to go over their work assignments for the day.The plenary speaker this morning is an African American/Black Deaf man who will speak on the topic“African American/Black Deaf leaders past, present, and future.” The interpreter coordinator hasselected an African American/Black state certified interpreter and a White RID certified interpreter as thevoicing team. The coordinator designated the white interpreter as the lead voicer with the AfricanAmerican/Black interpreter as backup. The English interpretation was accurate in terms of overallcontent. It lacked the emotional affect and cultural nuisance of the source message. It presented thespeaker in standard white discourse, with much of the black vernacular code switching features gettinglost in the translation. The African American/Black interpreter felt that due to their familiarity with thespeaker, the content, and culture, they could have provided a more culturally and linguistically accurateinterpretation. In debriefing the morning assignments, this was discussed among the interpreters andcoordinator.



An African American/Black interpreter is sent by the referral agency to interpret a large social event at aprivate home. When the interpreter arrives they are asked to go to the back entrance where the catersare coming in. When the interpreter states they are there as the interpreter, there is obvious confusionsince it had never occurred to the event planner that all interpreters are not White. The interpreterproceeded to interpret the social function and was even included in a group photo. The interpreter wasthe only person of color at the event.



An African American/Black Deaf professor is planning to give a lecture on Black Deaf history. Herequests his preferred college interpreter with whom he has had an excellent working relationship in allprevious situations in the professional educational environment. The interpreter tries to decline thisassignment because they do not feel they have the cultural background but the presenter isencouraging. Later the interpreter realizes that there are many errors in the interpretation and theaudience gives negative feedback to the interpreter.



A local black deaf community group needs interpreter services for several community events. They donot have a budget for interpreters and are looking for interpreters to “volunteer” their services. Twocommunity interpreters, one African American/Black and the other non-African American/Black agree toaccept the assignments and work gratis in exchange for cultural experience and community networking.The majority of the interpreters do not accept non-compensated assignments.



An advertised community interpreter position has been filled by a African American/Black interpreter whois nationally certified and a CODA. An interpreter who is a recent graduate of an Interpreter TrainingProgram does not see this person as “professionally trained” and is discussing this among colleagues.



In the course of meeting to close out a recent deaf related organizations convention, the conferencecoordinator has received from a non-African American/Black interpreter some not-so-flattering feedbackregarding the only conference interpreter of color. The comments related to the interpreters ethnocentricstyle and attire. At that meeting, the coordinator makes a decision not to request that interpreter for thenext year. The conference is predominately white but hoping to attract a larger diverse audience.



During a college lecture entitled “The effects of rap lyrics on the African American youth” by a blackstudies professor at an HBCU there are repeated references to the “N” word. The interpreter who isnon-black signs the N hand shape on the nose. There is a noticeable discomfort from the AfricanAmerican/Black deaf students in the audience. The interpreter is unaware of the tension exhibited bysome of the audience members.



In an effort to continue professional development and acquire cultural competencies in the AfricanAmerican/Black community, a non-black interpreter attends a workshop hosted by a local AfricanAmerican/Black interpreter group. During the presentation the interpreter takes the opportunity to asknumerous questions and interrupts the flow of the presentation. The interpreter is unaware they aredrawing attention to themselves and causing other participants to miss out on much of what thepresenter is there to convey. Because of the time taken by the non-white participant to give specificscenarios and pose questions to the presenter, the opportunity for other participants to ask questionsand get answers is diminished.



The conference planners for an event designed a theme that carries a historical racial connotation. Theplanning committee does not include any individuals of color. When the theme is announced severalmembers share the denotation and connotation of the term and its use and emotional impact to theAfrican American/Black membership. The planning committee feels that they have already printed theflyers and that it is not an issue.


National Multicultural Interpreter ProjectDecision Making in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities - Creating AuthenticTeamsMulticultural - Euro American Case Studies

Multicultural/Euro American Case Study #1

In a remote United States island community, Prior several interpreters and educational consultants someother island and some mainland had been consulting to set up a variety of services. An interpreter wasbrought in from the “mainland” to provide services on a temporary contract similar to the fictional healthservice doctor “Dr. Fleishman” on the television program “ Northern Exposure.” The interpreter importedthe business practices of a large urban city to the community including $30.00 an hour minimum rates,travel time, cancellation policies, and other “state of the art business practices. The administrators andentire community were unable to meet these expectations. The locals tried to explain the “economy” theway things were done there, that the top professionals were not earning that kind of hourly rate. Theinterpreter did not relent. The community grew silent and felt taken aback by the interpreter. Theconsultants returned later to much confusion and resistence towards the use of interpreters. It wasshared as a metaphor “You come and bring us the technology of a new xerox machine–but we have nopaper or toner.”

What were the issues? What strategies could be employed with the community?


A White interpreter educator was asked by the educator’s administration to provide platform interpretingservices for a special performance for Black cultural performing group that was presenting BlackSpirituals. The student body has a high percentage of African American/Black students. The educatoralthough initially flattered by the special artistic opportunity, felt that he/she was not the most appropriatematch for this situation. He/she diplomatically suggested that a novice interpreter, a graduate of the ITPprogram, who was Black and had been interpreting in their church choir for several years, be asked tointerpret. This would be a perfect artistic mentoring opportunity and the educator would be honored tomentor the novice on specific artistic skill or translation suggestions as appropriate. The administratorwho happened to be of a minority background, flatly rejected the suggestion saying “You are theprofessional and you should do the interpreting as the representative of our college and program’stalents, not a student.”

What are the issues? What strategies might be employed with this administrator?


A younger White Hearing interpreter was interpreting at a large community feast for an AmericanIndian/Alaskan Native event. While the interpreter was walking across the room, the interpreter wasstopped and asked by a hearing Elder couple, who asked directly in English to bring them some coffeeand desert. The interpreter went immediately to bring the desert and coffee, served them and thenstayed a moment to express gratitude for the community preparing this meal and the Elders for spendingtime with all of us. The Elder told the interpreter that he had visited her community many years agowhen he was in the military.

What are the issues? What strategies could have been employed in this situation?


An interpreter team is called to interpret a large cultural festival. No advance scripts or information otherthan the program is available. One of the team was a long time RID certified White, and one was anintern Hispanic interpreter. The Hispanic interpreter asked the mentoring White interpreter is he/shewould mind interpreting for the “Gospel” music portion since he/she does not know the lyrics, but willlisten carefully as they are singing, and as “back up” he/she assists by feeding some “sign choices” andchecking for message equivalence. Later, during the performance, the Hispanic interpreter is excited tohave the chance to interpret for a Mariachi group. The interpreter knew every word by heart in Spanish.Halfway during the intern Hispanic interpreter’s time on stage, the team member gave a urgent “switchnow” message, the interpreter quickly switched, and sat down. The mentor now “on stage” stared downat the intern and gave a “feed me what they are saying” message. The intern was perplexed, assumingthat the mentor somehow knew Spanish, he then fed line by line the song for the remainder of the “set.”The Hispanic interpreter’s confidence was weakened sought advice from outside sources questioningthe mentor’s switch.

What are the issues? What strategies could the mentor/mentee have used in this situation?

National Multicultural Interpreter ProjectDecision Making in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities - Creating AuthenticTeamsAmerican Indian and Alaskan Native Case Studies

American Indian/Alaskan Native Case Study #1

There were two Indian Deaf events: At one, the only Indian Interpreter, was not listened to orcooperated with by the rest of the team who “knew better.” Cultural information regarding dress andcultural protocols were not anticipated and not followed.

At the other event a team of four Indian interpreters from the US, and four dominant culture interpreters(2 from US and 2 from Canada, team also included 2 Deaf relay/intermediary interpreters; the team wasbalanced male/female ; included certified and non-certified experienced interpreters. The team had apre and post team meeting, prior to working together at the convention. Non-Indian interpretersdeferred to Indian interpreters for cultural and linguistic information, factors influencing the interpreterteam such as turn taking, appropriate gender and presenter matches. US interpreters deferred to hostcountry interpreters for geographical, governmental signs, Canadian ASL and other local information.Non-Indian US interpreters provided interpreting, and team support and increased culturalcompetencies. All members of the interpreter teams felt respected by each other. Deaf and hearingconsumers felt respected by interpreter teams. Interpreters were honored and asked to join in “honorsong” dance.



American Deaf juvenile defendant is in court. The judge puts into the record, and the report a lawdealing with the maintaining of culture of Indigenous prisoners. Defendant is promised supervised leaveto be able to attend “ceremonies”. The common habit of interpreters is to sign “CELEBRATIONS”. Thistransliteration of the English word “ceremonies” would not have been understood by the defendant, andmost likely, the individual would not have asked for any clarification. The interpreter team (Deafintermediary and hearing) though not of the same Nation, were able to the signs (only used by thedefendants’s people) to illustrate visually the examples of “ceremonies” of the defendant’s people. Thejuvenile expressed surprise, elation and gratitude. The individual knew to request for permission toattend while in detention.



American Indian Deaf youth, in order to ask a question, launches into a five minute description of aspecific ceremony, completely describing the entire process using a combination of American SignLanguage, American Indian Sign Language, visual gestures (VG), and pantomime. None of the otherDeaf or hearing signers, including interpreters, knew what was being said. The Indian interpreter finallyvoiced, “I’m a member of Native American Church, are you?”



An American Indian uses the Indian Sign for “WHITE-WOMAN” and because it looks exactly like ASLsigns, the interpreter voices it as “BLACK HAIR”. No one catches the error.



An American Indian Deaf individual is arrested. A newly certified interpreter, with no legal training, iscalled to interpret the Miranda Warnings and subsequent “confession”.Because of an Indian taboo against pointing with finger for pronoun referencing, the individual asdeveloped a communication style that tries to avoid using pronouns. If speaking with a fellow Indian, thiswould be compensated for my pointing with chin/lips. This chin/lip pointing is confusing to non-Indians,so even that is deleted, or replace with barely perceptible points of the chin, or “eye-shifts.” For the mostpart, the interpreter simply uses “closure” to assume who the suspect is speaking about. The interpreterdoes not attempt a clarification and is generally wrong. The “confession” is entered into the record.



Non-Indian interpreters assigned to interpret an Indian event. In order to try and “fit in” with thisassignment, the interpreter realizes that they have a very small amount of turquoise and silver jewelry inthe jewelry box. The interpreter decides to purchase more turquoise and silver jewelry and wear it to theIndian event. They even purchased a neck choker, with “dream catcher” earrings, in addition to theirturquoise and silver rings and necklaces. In their attempt to try and “fit in” with the culture they actuallyhad the opposite effect and “stood out”, making the consumers feel even more uncomfortable.



An American Indian youth is introduced to a very competent, certified, liberal and “culturally sensitive”interpreter. The youth, although Deaf, avoids direct eye contact thereby showing respect. The youthgives subtle cues of acknowledgment using minuscule chin/lip movement and nods. Youth kept theinterpreter within peripheral vision and allows the older person to talk, and not responding during pausesand saying very little or shrugging when asked to respond. The interpreter, a CODA, assuming theyouth has full knowledge of Deaf Culture, becomes angry at being “disrespected”, and maintains the“grudge” for months, despite repeatedly being assured by another CODA interpreter who is AmericanIndian, that the behavior was typical and respectful for “Rez (reservation) Deaf”. The interpreterbecame so angry, and began yelling every time that the issue was brought up, that although theinterpreter would normally have been on a list of preferred interpreters for this Deaf person, theinterpreter had to be taken off.



An American Indian Deaf uses ASL, but with a reservation dialect, which may include usage of IndianSigns and/or Indian signs, but keep their Indian meaning. One of the Indian Sign Language signs for“BRAVE, COURAGE” is a compound sign from the glosses “HEART + STRONG.” All Indian signshaving to do with “thought, knowledge, understanding come from the physical location of the “heart”rather than the “head” as in ASL. An American Indian defendant expresses, “I have no more thoughtsof fear, whether I am found guilty of innocent. An uncertified “relay” interpreter claiming understandingof Indian Deaf doesn’t know what the defendant is talking about and makes a “closure” sentence usingkey words and “GLOSSES” from the defendant’s heartfelt statement. It goes on the record assomething his attorney told him (to say).



A non-Indian interpreter assigned to interpret for a hearing Indian speaker for a culturally related topic.Throughout the presentation, there are references are made in the speech to Indian artifacts andobjects, such as “drums” and “pipes”. The interpreter’s choices of signs were inadequate. The sign fordrum referred to “two- handed open palm style” drumming, and the sign for pipe was the “citation” formfor the common smoking pipe.



In a hospital setting, a non-Indian interpreter was assigned to a deaf Indian patient in the EmergencyRoom. Upon arrival, the interpreter sees that the deaf Indian is wearing a traditional “medicine bag.”The doctor’s decide they need to remove it, thinking it is just another piece of jewelry. There are noother family members present in the room and the doctor’s proceed to remove it. After doing this, thepatient’s health immediately deteriorated, and became critical. Shortly, thereafter, the patient died.


National Multicultural Interpreter ProjectDecision Making in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities - Creating AuthenticTeamsAsian American/Pacific Islander Case Studies

Asian American/Pacific Islander Case Study #1

A Deaf employee asks his Asian-born supervisor if he can borrow the company car to pick up a specialorder of supplies. The supervisor answers, "The roads have not been fully plowed. I understand it maysnow again this afternoon. Those supplies are not needed until next week." After signing thesupervisor's response, the interpreter signs "Borrow car? Better not."



At a luau hosted by a Hawaiian-Japanese family, their deaf daughter introduces a non-Asian, hearingcouple to her non-Asian, hearing teacher. She introduces them as "Auntie Mary and Uncle John".Before voicing the introduction, the interpreter discretely asks the daughter, "Family?" The daughtershakes her head "no". The interpreter, still signing quietly asks the couple's last name. The voiceinterpretation is then presented, "I'd like you to meet Mr. and Mrs. Smith; they're like my aunt anduncle."



When a Caucasian, female interpreter learns she will be interpreting a presentation by His Holiness, theDalai Lama, she seeks counsel from a friend she knows is knowledgeable about Tibetan Buddhism.She goes to the assignment wearing an ankle-length, long-sleeved dress. She seeks out one of themonks in the entourage, introduces herself, explains the interpreting needs, and asks for help. She isled to the highest monk in authority; he gives her permission to stand while interpreting, even though itmay place her above the head of the Dalai Lama. While she is talking with the monks, she is careful tonot look at them directly in the eyes.



A Taiwanese-born engineering student who is deaf, is working on a project with a hearing, non-Asianclassmate. The classmate says, "Your design will never work. Mine is so much better; let's use mine,instead." The Taiwanese student responds, "You are right. Mine is no good." The interpreter voiceswhat he sees. After the discussion, the deaf student returns to working on his design.



A group of Asian employees are meeting to plan a program recognizing Asian/Pacific Islander HeritageMonth. There are eight hearing participants, all of whom seem foreign-born. There is one Deafparticipant who is American-born. All are professionals. One interpreter is an American-born Asianwoman; the other is a non-Asian male of large stature. The participants speak softly and in measuredtones. The male interpreter, when he can't hear, looks at the speakers and commands in a loud voice,"Speak up! You're not talking loud enough!" His command is always met with silence. Whendiscussion resumes, the participants speak even more hesitantly and quietly and with less interaction.

The Asian interpreter tries to replace the non-Asian interpreter but he will not relinquish the position. Atone point, the non-Asian interpreter stands up and mutters, "I give up!". The Asian interpreter takesover. She quickly explains to the Deaf employee that people were speaking very softly and it was hardto hear. At an appropriate moment, she turns to the group leader and says in a very calm andrespectful tone, "Excuse me, Dr. Lee, I am having trouble hearing. Could you please repeat yourinformation?" Dr. Lee responds, and the group begins to interact more.



The Nippon Fund has just given a grant to a Deaf organization. Hearing representatives from the Fundhave come from Japan to make the presentation at a formal gathering. Their spoken English is quiteclear and easy to understand. All the interpreters working at this event are non-Asian.

When the Nippon Fund president delivers his prepared remarks from the podium, he does so in a verycarefully articulated way. The ASL interpreter, who is non-Asian, provides an interpretation laden withfacial expression, physical movement and large signing space.

As Deaf representatives come up to the stage to thank the Nippon Club, two of the voice interpretersthank the "NIP-on" Fund. A third voice interpreter pronounces it as "nee-POHN".



A Deaf Korean woman who has just immigrated to the United States to live with her boyfriend is in thehospital. Both an ASL interpreter and a Korean language interpreter have been called to interpret herinterview with the doctor to discuss a long-term hospital stay. The ASL interpreter is an American-bornAsian; the Korean language interpreter is a Korean woman who has been in the United States for 10years and whose spoken English is fair. The two interpreters work together to make sure the interviewgoes smoothly. The Deaf woman expresses an interest in staying in the hospital, especially since thehospital provides interpreter services and other accommodations. During the interview, the Koreanlanguage interpreter draws pictures, trying to make the Deaf woman smile.

After the meeting, the Deaf woman's boyfriend arrives. He is hearing, Caucasian and doesn't sign orspeak Korean. He tells her (via gesture and home signs) that he wants her to transfer to anotherhospital. This hospital, however, won't provide accommodations. The Deaf woman agrees. The Koreaninterpreter says, "He is American. That is good. He will take care of her." The boyfriend goes in to tellthe doctor there's been a change of plans.



A group of Deaf employees are complaining to their branch manager about their Asia-born, hearingsupervisor. They claim she never smiles at them, never says "hello", never looks at them while talking,and when they pass in the hall, she looks down at the floor. The supervisor is then called in by thebranch manager. Based on the supervisor's name, her features and vocal accent, the interpreter, who isan American-born Asian, suspects she is Korean. When asked why she never smiles or acknowledgesthe Deaf employees, the supervisor responds, "That's just me". The interpretation is "MY CULTURE,TEND, THAT". As the end of the meeting, the interpreter asks the supervisor what her ethnicity is. Thesupervisor responds, "Korean."

In the hallway, the interpreter stops to talk to a couple of the Deaf employees who had been at themeeting. She explains that in Korean culture, direct eye contact is a sign of confrontation, and smiling isreserved only for the family.



Two interpreters are assigned to a program featuring Asian/Pacific Island culture and performing arts,This is a community event and features both Deaf and hearing performers. One interpreter is anAmerican-born Asian female; the other is a non-Asian male. The male is dressed in tight black jeans, ablack t-shirt with a black leather jacket and motorcycle boots. He is also sporting an earring in his leftear. He is recently out and proud of it. His interpretations are "loud" and carry a great deal of affect.His voice interpretations parody an Asian accent. During the break, the Asian interpreter comments toher co-interpreter that the affect of his interpretations does not seem to match the affect in the source.The non-Asian replies that he knows what he's doing, his interpretation is correct because he studiedlinguistics in college and used to have Asian friends.



As part of the entertainment for a conference, a Deaf woman from the Pacific Islands is sharing severalof the local legends. The legends are about their spirits and contain a great deal of animation,description and color. The Deaf woman is wearing a native outfit. The interpreter, who is not of thatculture, presents the information in a formal register, devoid of affect.



At a neighborhood barbeque, a non-Asian Deaf woman goes up to talk to a Hearing Asian woman. TheAsian woman had moved out of the neighborhood five years ago, and was now visiting. The Deafwoman signs, "Wow! Have you gained weight!" The interpreter voices what she sees. The Asianwoman giggles, nods and then turns away.



A team of interpreters are assigned to a graduate course on contemporary Asian issues. The courserefers a great deal to the history, geography, and politics of Asian countries. The Deaf student is a Euro-American male who was raised orally and has been signing for five years. He signs a Manually CodedEnglish with poor hand shapes. He is familiar with the subject matter.

One interpreter is female, non-Asian; the other interpreter is an American-born Asian male. The femaleinterpreter can meet the language needs of the consumer, but struggles with the subject. The maleinterpreter is familiar with the subject but is not easily understood by the student.

During the semester, the male interpreter constantly fed information to the female interpreter, drewmaps, and explained the references being made in class. The female interpreter was willing to staylonger in the chair and accepted feeds from the male interpreter. The male interpreter was in a betterposition to understand information coming from the student.

For the final presentation, the Deaf student had to make a 20 minute presentation. He asked the maleinterpreter to voice the presentation, and the female interpreter to sign all questions and discussionpoints from the teacher and fellow students.

This was an effective team. Both interpreters recognized their strengths and limitations and workedaccordingly. The female interpreter was willing to do more of the expressive interpreting; the maleinterpreter was willing to take more of the voicing and to provide background information.



An American-born Asian interpreter and a Euro-American male interpreter are assigned to interpret at ahigh security military installation. The two interpreters have been colleagues for a long time. Uponarriving at the installation, the security guards process the male interpreter through and then asks if theother interpreter is a U.S. citizen. The male interpreter replies, "Gee, I don't know if she's a citizen, herlast name is foreign." When the female interpreter arrives, she is made to wait while a security andcitizenship check is done on her. The male interpreter did not have to go through the same process.



A recently immigrated Deaf woman from Cambodia is being seen at a public health clinic for pre-natalcare. She is there with her boyfriend, a young Deaf man who is also a recent immigrant, but from Africa.Communication between the interpreter and the Deaf couple is exceedingly difficult. The staff persists inthinking the interpreter is friends with the couple. During the examination, the nurse notices manycircular-shaped burn scars on the woman's stomach. The nurse asks the interpreter if the wounds wereself inflicted and wonders about the Deaf woman's mental health and ability to care for a newborn.


National Multicultural Interpreter ProjectDecision Making in Hispanic/Latino Communities - Creating Authentic TeamsHispanic/Latino(a) Case Studies

Hispanic/Latino(a) Case Study #1

During the training program, a Hispanic/Latino student felt isolated and unsupported by the instructorand peers, who among other things, expressed doubt about her qualifications to become an interpreterwith such a heavy accent. One day, the student found herself alone with another student. Suddenlywithing the context of the interchange, the student recognized that her peer was also Hispanic/Latino.Shocked, the question was raised by this fellow student as to why her peer had never disclosed herHispanic/Latino ethnicity. The reply–“I didn’t want to suffer in class as you have.”



The Interview - “It was the first time I had interpreted for a mental health setting. I was amazed at howmany signs the client used that I had never seen, let along was “taught.” Yet they were very clear to me.I know EXACTLY what the client was referring to because of my cultural upbringing. For example, theclient talked about walking through a park, seeing men seated and then the client made a sign that lookslike “MIX” but both hands were flat palms down. I knew immediately it was “Dominoes”; after all I hadseen this hand movement in playing the game every week of my life growing up in El Barrio.



She raised her hand again and again during the audience discussion, but the white presenter to thisaudience of predominantly white workshop continued to ignore here. She now waved her hand; still tono acknowledgment. It was obvious to all around, she could have well waived a 20 foot Mexican flag,she would still have been ignored. Finally, one of her students, who was white, raised her hand, angrilystood up and demanded that her Hispanic/Latino teacher be given the floor.



The interpreter was Hispanic, young pre-certified, but she came in with a uniquely large, diverse,immediate and extended Deaf family. She had an excellent grasp of gestural communication andquickly picked up on the foreign signs of the Hispanic Deaf Client. Her team member was white,nationally certified with strong legal interpreting background. The client was signing and the whiteinterpreter voiced. The Hispanic interpreter cued her partner that she had voiced incorrectly andprovided an assist. The white interpreter ignored her. The information was critical. The Hispanicinterpreter cued again. She was refuted again. Finally, the Hispanic interpreter spoke up in thecourtroom, and told the judge that she believed that the voicing interpreter had made an error. A back-translation was done, with further questions to ascertain which was the correct response. The Hispanicinterpreter was correct.



A Hispanic interpreter was teamed with a white “artistic interpreter” to do gospel signing for a majormusic event honoring Martin Luther King. All the music and words had been provided and both workedout the logistics. At the end, everyone was asked to stand up and sing the “Black National Anthem.”The white interpreter knew the words, but could not be physically positioned to feed them to the Hispanicinterpreter, nor did the white interpreter want to sign it, citing that there could be strong resentment andcultural insult if he did. The Hispanic interpreter had no knowledge of the song lyrics and had to “muddlethrough” producing a very poor rendition of the song.



A team of interpreters for a major conference consisted of all white interpreters and one interpreter ofcolor. This was the first interpreter of color used at this annual convention. At the opening session, thepresenter was nervous and spoke rapidly as she addressed the audience. The white interpreter signedat an even, moderate pace. When the interpreter of color took over, the affect was very fast with largermovements to match the presenter, and consequently not as clear. Additionally, the background wasvery dark, and the lighting not very strong. At the intermission, the coordinator informed the interpreterthat they needed to make an adjustment in register. The interpreter recognized the concern and madethe style adjustment after receiving the feed back instructions. Throughout the day, the interpreter ofcolor subsequently received countless compliments on the work. At the end of the day, the coordinatorinformed the interpreter that the next day’s assignment to interpret the keynote speaker was beingreassigned to another interpreter citing that the signing style would not match the style of the Euro-American white presenter. The interpreter of color’s assigned partner, who was white and who couldhave stayed on the assignment with a new interpreter, refused to do so and requested to be voluntarilyremoved in order to stay with the original partner of color.



The interpreter team for the legal situation on an immigration case involving Hispanic/Latino Deaf clients,all foreign born, was comprised of three interpreters of Hispanic/Latino background: one was certified,one was a Deaf relay, and the third was pre-certified with extensive skill in gestural communication withan unusually large number of immediate and extended Deaf family. The certified interpreter’s strengthwas voicing and signing the legal nomenclature. The Deaf’s relay’s strength lay in communicatingdirectly with the Deaf clients, and the pre-certified interpreter monitored, affirmed, and brought anypossible concerns or misunderstandings to the team member’s attention. At various points, each wouldstop or be stopped by the other to confer. The judge was impressed with the team’s mutual respect andeffort to provide an accurate culturally and linguistically interpretation. There was a strong sense amongthe team that all were equals.



An interpreter was called to the hospital in a border town to interpret for a young couple and their infantdaughter. The young couple was relieved to see the interpreter finally arrive. The Anglo husband, whocould use his voice, did most of the “animated” communication catching up the interpreter on their arrivalto the hospital early that morning and their subsequent frustration of getting an interpreter. The Hispanicdoctor who had been treating the baby “refused” to use an interpreter depending upon the husband to“interpret” for the wife. The wife was very young and from Mexico and; used ASL as a second languagewith her husband with her husband. The interpreter was introduced to several extended family membersand her “commadre” a close female Deaf friend who lived in Mexico. The entire group had been waiting

at the hospital for over six hours while the hospital coordinated interpreter and medical services. Duringthis time, the staff had communicated with the husband and a sister, who knew some signs, and brainscan tests had been ordered on the baby. The interpreter sat in the waiting room with the couple whiletests were being run. The baby was being cared for in ICU. The interpreter observed the young mother,who was planing on staying at the hospital, arranging to have a second toddler-aged child go home withthe Deaf friend. The two of them discussed diapers, food, and eventual planed to meet after things weresettled in the hospital. The Deaf friend was getting ready to leave with the small child who was verycranky. The hearing Grandmother, who spoke only Spanish, was getting ready to leave the hospital fora while. A hospital staff person pulled the interpreter aside and asked if the interpreter could stay afterthe medical procedures were run, as the hospital social worker and a Child Protective Services officerwere going to question the couple. The hospital staff informed the husband through the interpreter thatCPS was being called and would be “asking a few questions” of the couple. The husband did not “react”with any concern or questions as to “why” the CPS were being called except to agree to the interview.Next, the interpreter observed the family and friend saying their goodbyes, and asking the wife if it wasokay if they left. The interpreter sensing that husband did not in anyway realize that calling in CPSindicated “suspicions” on the part of the hospital staff, and that having the second child taken into Mexicowithout telephone or other contact easily possible might be an issue. The interpreter suggested to thehusband that perhaps the family might consider waiting until after the “interview” in case additionalinformation or clarification was needed by the interpreter or the family. The family stayed.



A young Latino female was in the hospital with complications during delivery. The interpreter was calledin to provide interpreter services. The Hispanic trilingual interpreter had been working the patient for thepast nine months and was aware of her seriousness of the medical situation as well as her limitededucation and her inability to communicate in English. She depended upon mouthed Spanish, ASL, andcode-switching with Mexican signs. The Anglo hospital staff after making their initial assessments askedthe interpreter to leave. The patient clearly wanted the interpreter to stay. The Anglo nursing staff washostile to the expenditures caused by keeping the notes. She threatened to call security to have theinterpreter “thrown out” of the hospital. The Hispanic interpreter felt professionally “threatened andintimidated.” The interpreter held her professional ground and called the deaf service agency forassistance.



A foreign born Latino Deaf student was in a adult basic education class. A novice interpreter, whose firstlanguage was Spanish, was interpreting in a class with a hearing teacher. The Deaf person was usingan unrecognized sign that looked like “a tumor on the side of the neck.” The interpreter could not makesense of this sign in the context of the conversation. The Deaf student attempted to “mime”, stillcommunication was not clear. The Deaf student finally trying fingerspelling “A-B-O-G-A-D-O” severaltimes and this “word still did not make English sense in the context of the situation. The interpreter wasconfused. After several attempts, the novice interpreter finally realized the word was Spanish for“lawyer”. The interpreter was trained in an ASL/English program and even though the individual knewSpanish, they were unaware of other signed language and consumer modalities.



An interpreter who was bilingual in ASL/English only had worked with a consumer several times. Theinterpreter noticed an unusual spelling of certain words, and a different way of making the letters “K” and“P”, and seemed frustrated and struggled to find certain signs, but was generally able to understand theconsumer with some repetition and clarification. The interpreting situations seemed to go well. Theinterpreter thought the Deaf person had a limited vocabulary and a unique way of fingerspelling. Severalyears later, the interpreter saw the same consumer in the context of communicating with a trilingual(ASL/English/Spanish) interpreter. It was clear that the consumer’s fingerspelling and mouthingchanged. The person was mouthing in Spanish, signing in ASL and spelling words in Spanish.



A foreign born Latino Deaf student who was attending an adult basic education class for the first time inher life had parked her car and come into class. She had parked near a fire hydrant. The student didnot realize this was a violation. After class, the car was not in the space and panicked thinking it wasstolen. The student asked another Deaf student to see if anyone had seen the car being stolen. OneDeaf student, on a break, had seen the police call the towing company to remove the car. The Deafstudent asked a staff interpreter to provide telephone interpreting services to assist in locating andretrieving the car. The Hispanic interpreter agreed to stay after class to assist the student. Theinterpreter first provided a “common knowledge” explanation of what might have transpired. Theinterpreter attempted to obtain make, model and color information prior to placing the call. The studentonly knew “BLACK” and “LONG”. The Deaf student had no concept of information and documentation.The interpreter began a process of interpreting a complex series of fact-finding calls to obtain themother’s name, the mother’s job, the possible place’s of employment, calls to verify her employment,obtain the other hearing son’s assistance, to finally obtain the required information needed to retrieve thecar. The interpreter suggested that the Deaf person keep this information for future reference. Theprocess took approximately three hours.


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