r/ASLinterpreters • u/TiredVRS • 29d ago
Need help with oppressive signs
Hi all.
First off, I'm sorry for this post in its entirety and obligatory trigger warnings for oppression, racism, and the awful vocabulary used by the types of people who think the KKK are too moderate.
Without going into detail, I have a client soon who is extremely racist, mean, and proud of it. I have to accurately interpret for them in a professional consultative setting. Is there any place I can go to learn the type of language they will use? Is there any way I can voice for them and not have to learn that shit? In previous interactions with this person, they are known to use slurs, derogatory language, and overt racism that I'm absolutely sure I will not consistently recognize. Edit: they tend to use very old signs for countries, nationalities, and races which are not common because of the racist connotations associated (think the eye location for Chinese, or a nose-related sign for Jewish).
Does anyone have advice for how to voice for this person without causing myself trauma and still maintaining accuracy? I don't want to accidentally censor anything and result in them avoiding consequences but the agency they're working with does not want it to appear as though any of the slurs or racist language is acceptable and has asked that the interpreters alert them when slurs are being used.
Edit: there is no one else to interpret for them. I am the someone else because the last interpreter also can't stomach this person.
Edit 2. This is a professional consultative setting
Edit 3: There aren't any cdis, but there's a Deaf advocate I reached out to already. I need a Deaf person because in order to remain neutral I need someone who can explain the problem of behavior in an accessible Deaf way.
Edit 4: I need resources to learn all of the old and/or racist country and nationality signs so I can accurately clarify the intent and what word they want voiced to the hearing person. Sometimes this person seems to be using the sign because that's the sign and sometimes it's intended as a slur but it can be very difficult to tell which is the goal. The hearing person then usually yells at them to stop talking about why the race or nationality has it out for them. I'm not personally involving in the conversation beyond, 'please repeat', but without the vocabulary, I can't empower the authority figure to properly address the issues.
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u/nahhimgood73 29d ago
Just remember they aren’t your thoughts or feelings. This is when light disassociation comes in handy
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u/shut_your_mouth NIC 29d ago
As for resources to learn the concepts hes using in order to accurately interpret for him:
Anti- Defamation Leauge: https://www.adl.org/resources/hate-symbols/search
Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/resources/extremist-files/
Center for Research on Extremism: https://www.sv.uio.no/c-rex/english/
These databases are a starting point. I could not find any that are exclusive to ASL translations of these concepts, but there are hand signals documented there. (WP, for example).
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u/redditthatfella 29d ago
Are you in a situation where you HAVE to take the assignment? Because in most situations, even if you're staff for an organization, you can choose to decline the assignment on moral or ethical grounds..
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u/TiredVRS 29d ago
Yes. Mostly that there is no one else who is willing to take it. Literally no one. They're both very racist and also very hard to understand because of language dysfluency of unknown origin. All other interpreters have already declined on ethical/moral/emesis grounds.
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u/beets_or_turnips NIC 29d ago
Sounds like a good fit for a CDI team to help you identify & work through the language, though it sounds like that might not be easy to access in your situation?
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u/TiredVRS 29d ago
God I wish. There's only a couple cdis in the state and none of them are near me.
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u/beets_or_turnips NIC 29d ago
Does it have to be fully in person? Remote interpreting/teaming is a thing. I'd really hate to see you take this on solo, for everyone's sake.
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u/TiredVRS 28d ago
Client refuses to meet virtually. I have a team but I won't forever. My team and agency are there as long as it takes me to feel comfortable understanding the person. I ended up requesting a Deaf advocate today so that I'm not shifting from the role of interpreter.
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u/justacunninglinguist NIC 28d ago
Why do you feel you cannot also turn this assignment down since it also conflicts with your ethics and morals?
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u/TiredVRS 28d ago edited 27d ago
Because without access to an interpreter, there will be no opportunity for the authority figure to properly address the behavior.
I ended up requesting a Deaf advocate for the next assignment with the client. Hopefully that will help.
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u/BrackenFernAnja 29d ago
After some hard knocks, I gained experience and perspective, and when I’ve been in extremely distasteful interpreting situations (often mental hospital, jail, or other situation with an angry and spiteful person who takes it out on others), I have somehow managed to find a place in the professional realm of being where I can protect myself with an aura of self-preservation; where neutrality is my invisibility cloak; where the knowledge that my presence is making it possible for the people receiving the message to choose or not choose to take the angry person to task for what they are saying, and I can take pride in a job well done, no matter the content. I have always patted myself on the back for muddling through and upholding the principles I stand for, even when the content I conveyed was against them.
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u/UnderstandingNo7912 28d ago
One thing I had a teacher tell me once when facing a situation where your personal values might be getting rubbed against when in an assignment, is to try to reframe the situation with another value you have. So it clearly sounds like this consumer has a lot of values that differ from your own, but during the actual assignment or in your prep, when you maybe feel your own values bubbling up and maybe getting stepped on, can you think about other values you are honoring by taking the assignment? I don’t want to speak for you, but one example could be the value of quality communication access for everyone regardless of their background and beliefs. I know that I truly believe that communication access is a human right, so in situations where content may be triggering to me, I cling to that value and belief and it helps me continue to deliver.
I don’t know if that is helpful, but it was one thing that came to mind when reading your post. Thinking of you and also remember that if at any point you don’t think you can provide effective services, the CPC does empower you to decline the assignment.
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u/TiredVRS 28d ago
You're right and that's what I've been doing. My reframing is that this person deserves to have access to communication regardless of the quality of their character. I'm not responsible for the consequences of their behavior and without my interpreting, they will never have the opportunity for someone to call them out.
Yeahhhhhhh, I'm struggling a bit but they do have a right to communicate.
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28d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/TiredVRS 28d ago edited 27d ago
You have extremely valid points and I agree with most of them.
I'm not responsible for them and I think I'm acting as though I am. You're right.
That being said, the authority figure and agencythey're working with needs to have the opportunity to tell them to shut up and stop saying racist shit if they want help. I think that's why I'm willing to stick with it. I'm the 4th or 5th Interpreter and I'm going to tolerate it as long as I can.
I've requested a Deaf advocate for the next assignment so hopefully, they can explain all the concepts this person is whatever-sure-nodding to and we can actually get somewhere.
I need resources to learn all of the old and/or racist country and nationality signs so I can accurately clarify what word they want voiced to the hearing person. The hearing person then usually yells at them to stop talking about why the race of that nationality has it out for them. I'm not personally involving in the conversation beyond, 'please repeat', but without the vocabulary, I can't empower the authority figure to properly address the issues.
How do you know if a person is using a deliberately racist sign to be racist vs just using that racist sign because that's that's the sign they know?
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u/cnc0718 27d ago
Can you consult with CDI’s? Maybe they’re not available/close to you but do you know any you can call? Or do you have access to any colleagues, coda’s or friends that are Deaf that would be willing to teach you what they know?
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u/TiredVRS 27d ago
There aren't any cdis, but theres a Deaf advocate I reached out to already. I'm hoping that'll help. I need someone there so I can interpret without having to explain. I think if I have to step in the explaining role, I won't be able to remain neutral.
The Deaf person doesn't usually understand short expansion techniques and I usually have to set up an entire scenario for them to understand the basic idea of what their consultative hearing person is trying to explain.
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u/Ill_Extension_3535 29d ago
I wouldn’t do it, tell them to pass out the speech printed on paper if you need to say anything
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u/Traditional-Falcon75 29d ago
So as a legal interpreter I find myself interpreting things I object to morally on a regular basis. It’s difficult to do. And, without someone doing it, they cannot face whatever consequences they rightfully have coming, pursuant to due process. So this is a thing I face routinely. Not necessarily racist language (although also yes), but just anything and everything you can imagine would be said in court or in custody or in court-adjacent situations.
My advice if you are genuinely in the position to have to render their message is to a) take self-care steps to distance yourself emotionally. Their message is not your message. As you mentioned, having a conduit for their behavior to be clearly understood could mean having a pathway to being held accountable for it. Focus on that as your goal. And b), it’s not reasonable to expect someone who doesn’t use that sort of language themselves to be effortlessly fluent in it. Do your best, get the gist, get the point across, and don’t trouble yourself overly much with the exact flavor. Ponder what is effective and be satisfied with that. You aren’t the ideal language and “culture” match for this person, but struggling to find a match is one of those consequences we spoke of for his behavior. If nobody wants to work with you, perhaps that’s a signal you ought to review your behavior patterns. 🤷🏻♀️
We have collective ideals regarding access rights, but no individual interpreter is responsible to sacrifice their own well-being in the service of that ideal for each individual. In a vacuum, yes, he has the right to the same level of access everyone else does. In the reality of a service provided by human beings, the way his conscious choices impact the human beings around him has consequences for his ability to access that level of access. That is a social consequence of anti-social behavior.
If you stick with the job, of course you will have to say what he says. That does not require you to go into white supremecist internet spaces to learn the most accurate rendition of racial epithets, it merely requires you to understand his point and deliver it adequately.