Value Something Higher

I’ve had a number of students over the years concerned about being “triggered” in their practicum placements. Triggered by the topics or ways in which people express themselves. This concern spread to internship when students left their “home” areas and traveled to another part of the country that they may or may not have ever visited prior. This exposure to other ways of being and other ways of navigating the world shook them. And they struggled with the ability to interpret faithfully in those places – both from a triggered place, emotionally, and from a sense of “people shouldn’t be able to talk like that.” 

It is an interesting time to be alive and I think that impacts things. I also think this is a byproduct of the movement to have signed language interpreters as allies and/or advocates for a way of thinking and being. Let me expand on that. 

There are clear guidelines and mandates in our code of professional conduct and in some state legislature that the interpreter is to be an impartial party. Not a family member. Also, that the interpreter should be a professional – knowing the rules, having a sense of appropriate decision-making and valuing the same things as the profession (an issue in interpreting as we don’t have a lot of express shared values, though there are clues in our CPC about what we value). Not just a signer. 

The reason for the impartiality and professionalism seems related to undue influence on the people involved and/or the outcome of the situation. The interpreter is not to be a party to what occurs, not to have a vested interest in the outcome (of the decisions – perhaps invested in a successful encounter, yes).

Now, to the idea that people should be censored or that I, as an interpreter cannot be a vessel for some people’s messages. My most recent specialty in interpreting is as a courtroom interpreter. Almost no one goes there for happy things, it is a place where you are exposed to the depths of human depravity, and the heights of human redemption (actually). It can be a wild ride. But it is also a place to have access to the proceedings, an attorney, any and every resource. And also a place you should be able to have your story heard regardless of how horrific. So, do I love interpreting for that kind of stuff, yes and no – I love being a part of upholding someone’s humanity and allowing their story to be told so that justice can be served (even when faulty), I love being a part of having that story told that can lead to healing and redemption. I do not like that people do these things to one another, particularly when vulnerable populations are involved (aren’t we all vulnerable though). 

So, what do you do when the content you are interpreting is so disturbing that it feels icky coming out of your mouth or off your hands? You look for a higher value than your own comfort. You look to values of beneficence, justice, autonomy, and non-maleficence. You look to the reason you are an interpreter – beyond the language – the idea of connecting people and holding their stories sacred in the communication. You look to the values of the country like freedom of speech, regardless of your level of agreement, there is a reason we value freedom of expression, because liberation matters. It matters enough that I’m willing to be uncomfortable to uphold it. 

My comfort, my emotional safety are not my highest value. 

A few summers ago  a student whose mother is a nurse brought up the meme that went around for nurses that was something like, “when you were gay, we cared for you; when you had been raped, we cared for you, etc.” Highlighting the care of nurses above any label. All the labels on that list were marginalized populations, vulnerable populations. After pondering it, I came back the next day and added a few and modified it for interpreters, “when you were the drunk driver, we provided access for you; when you were a bigot, we interpreted faithfully for you; when you were the rapist, we interpreted faithfully for you…..” 

I would argue and I believe strongly that to be an interpreter we have to believe in the value of all humans the ones who think like us and the ones that don’t. The ones that have had horrific circumstances and the ones who’ve perpetrated those things. Our job is connecting people, not judging them. Prioritizing our comfort, compromises our shared values of autonomy, justice, beneficence, and non-maleficence. Go to a higher value and love the people you are working for in that moment – love means they get to be them without editing by you, they get to say and experience what they will without editing by you. 

At the same time- there may be seasons where you can’t do certain things, then going to the higher value means sending a different interpreter – that is also fine.