Page 26 - Reading Between the Sign Intercultural Communication for Sign Language Interpreters

Introduction 11

‘D’ Deaf, as members of a cultural group who have created their
own language and who actively shape their lives and identity”
(Rexroat 1997, 19).

Capital Letters for Gloss of SIGN
As a three-dimensional, multichannel language of movement, ASL
is not easily captured on the printed page. For this reason, I try to
avoid long passages of transcribed ASL. When necessary, how-
ever, I use the convention of capitalization to represent the com-
mon gloss for a sign. I am only attempting to portray a rough
sketch of which signs might be chosen. Since I make no effort to
include nonmanual markers (eye gaze; mouth shape; movements
of the eyebrows, head, body, etc.), this is in no way to be seen as
a complete transcription of ASL.

Point of Reference
Let me stress again that this book is addressed to all sign lan-
guage interpreters, those who learned ASL as a first language be-
cause their parents were Deaf (often referred to as “CODAs,” chil-
dren of Deaf adults) and those who learned it later by choice.
Currently, the majority of sign language interpreters (including
myself) grew up in American mainstream culture. Coming from
that perspective, therefore, I often use we to mean hearing Ameri-
cans as opposed to Deaf Americans. Those interpreters who grew
up in Deaf families may, therefore, have to make some adjust-
ments to the statements about “our” culture and “their” culture.
Depending on their particular circumstances (e.g., presence or
lack of hearing siblings or extended family or the extent of the
family’s involvement in the Deaf community), those with Deaf
parents may find themselves with a mixture of values and per-
spectives from the two groups.
Similarly, I do not mean to discount interpreters who grew up
in other than a white American environment. Interpreters of color
or those who grew up in other cultures will have their own cultural
influences to take into consideration. My basic message is that we
all have to know where we are coming from so we can figuratively
“check our cultural baggage at the door” while we are interpret-
ing.

01 MINDESS PMKR 11 10/18/04, 11:21 AM