Page 162 - Reading Between the Sign Intercultural Communication for Sign Language Interpreters

The Impact of Cultural Differences on Interpreting Situations 147

First and foremost, to professional interpreters the interpret-
ing event is our work. And what does “work” mean in our culture?
As we saw in chapter 4, it defines our identity. Not only the way
we earn our money, it gives us a sense of value through accom-
plishment. Our self-esteem is tied to visible, measurable indica-
tors such as our college degrees, interpreting certificates, or amount
of money earned.
The term professional seems to be a key to understanding how
we see ourselves in the interpreting role. Many times we use this
word with pride. At other times, however, we use it in a slightly
defensive manner when hearing consumers assume that (a) we
are related to the Deaf consumer, (b) we are volunteering our time,
or (c) we have no training in areas such as confidentiality or eth-
ics. Professionalism connotes neutrality. As one of the tenets of
the RID Code of Ethics states, “Interpreters shall not counsel, ad-
vise, or interject personal opinions.” As models of interpreting
have changed, so has our collective self-image. We do not see
ourselves as helpers or machines anymore. We pride ourselves on
our professionalism and believe that it entitles us to the same
respect accorded other professionals such as doctors and lawyers.
The concept and sign PROFESSIONAL carries a very different
connotation in the Deaf world. “While it is sometimes a neutral
designation, it is never a compliment…to be identified by others
as professional is sometimes negative, connoting a cool, standoff-
ish, or elitist attitude, someone who attains to principles rather
than people” (Smith 1996, 111).
Do Deaf people see the interpreting event in the same way
that we do? There are several avenues we can pursue to gather
some data on this question. First, let us take a historical perspec-
tive and look back before there were “professional interpreters.”
The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf was established in 1964.
Prior to that time (and doubtless continuing to the present day in
many situations), when Deaf people needed to communicate with
hearing people, they either did the best they could with lipreading
and writing notes, or they enlisted the aid of a neighbor or family
member who could hear and speak. Often these were the hearing
children of Deaf parents who had learned ASL in the home. There
was no formal code of ethics followed by these family “volun-
teers.” They were part of the reciprocal pool of skills in the Deaf
community. Were they “professional interpreters” in the sense of
the term today?

06 MINDESS PMKR 147 10/18/04, 12:01 PM