By Jeannette Johnson
If you had told me two years ago that I would become friends with one of my interpreters, I would have laughed in your face. My mother used to be an interpreter, she drilled the interpreter’s code of ethics into my head. Not only that, but because of flagrant ethical violations by my interpreters during high school, my mother went on to be an advocate for deaf and hard of hearing children in Michigan. After what happened during high school, I always remained on friendly terms with the interpreters I encountered, but had acquired an innate sense of caution around them.
On the first day of my classes at college, instead of feeling unease, I felt an instant bond with one of my interpreters. This was truly unusual, and it bothered me a bit. Yet, I was curious about this woman. What was it about her that made me drop my usual sense of caution? Even to this day, it’s hard for me to pin down what it was exactly drew us to each other. Before class started, we would strike up a conversation. And boy, did we talk. It got to the point where we would pick up where we left off after class.
There was a voice way back in my head saying, “What’re you doing? You’re not supposed to become friends with your interpreters! It causes role confusion and blurring of boundaries! Be careful!” But I ignored that voice, and before I knew it, between classes, we chatted away in the college’s coffee shop. We told each other things that only friends tell each other. We were becoming good, but not close, friends. I would share stories about my deaf activism at the local level, and how many people were ticked off at me as a result. She would laugh at my stories, and joked that I was the deaf community hitman.
Then one day last fall, I was stricken with terrible news about my health. While the news was devastating, it was in some sense, a relief. Finally, I knew why I was feeling and behaving the way I was. I told my interpreter about this news and from that point on the dynamics of our friendship changed and we grew closer. But now my voice in my head was clamoring, “You have to back off! You’re heading for trouble here! You guys are getting far too close for your own good!” I became so uncomfortable with the situation with my friend that I was ready to tell her boss that I didn’t want her interpreting for me anymore. But I was beaten to the punch, another interpreter was assigned to me for next semester. Good news, right? Well, this new interpreter doesn’t do a good job voicing for me.
So, I contacted my friend to discuss what happened via text-message. Our initial conversation about what happened went smoothly, and we expected to see each other again sometime soon. I also emailed my advisor about the interpreting situation and shared my concerns about the new interpreter’s ability to voice for me and requested to have another interpreter. A couple of weeks passed, and my friend texted me again to inquire about the interpreting situation. That’s when things blew up in our faces. It erupted into a series of misunderstandings, and her boss eventually got dragged into it. It created a very embarrassing situation for everyone involved. So, I asked my friend via text-message, to meet in person to discuss about what happened. She initially refused for various reasons, but the impression I got from her was that she thought I was seeking out a fight from her, and she wasn’t about to give one to me.
Considering our history and my reputation, it was somewhat understandable.
She eventually agreed to meet with me, but nothing changed. So, we ended up not seeing or speaking to each other for over a month. She also was no longer interpreting for my classes, and the campus was large enough for us to not run into each other. But I knew due to the small pool of local interpreters, I was bound to run into her again. And I was right. She ended up interpreting a meeting I attended. It was tough, especially when you consider my past history with her and other interpreters. But despite the frigidity, we were able to remain professional throughout the meeting. How many interpreters can you remain professional with after they crossed a very personal line with you, and you end up not speaking to each other for over a month?
Gradually, we warmed up to each other. We always worked well together. Things, however, didn’t completely defrost until the issue of how using text in a conversational or a group discussion setting could be limiting. This subject was exactly what had escalated our arguments and subsequently our estrangement. I used the example of the very simple word, ‘yes’ and showed how the word’s connotation could give an entirely different meaning to what was said, and how confusing it could be in text, because we sometimes don’t know which connotation is being used by the speaker. When I drove home that point, my friend interpreted it with complete professionalism, but since we used to be such good friends, I recognized the horror in her eyes. She was able to maintain her professionalism and her composure until the end of the meeting. But as she left, I knew that she finally understood why I wanted to meet with her face to face, and that we both had made mistakes in this entire situation.
I’m not saying it was a mistake to become friends with her and I honestly don’t know what will happen now between us, but she sure as heck isn’t going to be interpreting for me again if I can help it. And the next time I have the chance to become friends with an interpreter, I’ll obey the demands of that little, insistent voice deep inside my head.
Jeannette Johnson (a.k.a. Deaf Pundit) is a regular commenter in the deaf blogosphere, mainly on DeafDC.com. She is a native Michigander studying Social Work and is an alumnus of Gallaudet and RIT. She is always ready to dive head-first into the following: an intellectual debate, a science fiction book, and Italian food.
© Copyrighted material. This article cannot be copied, reproduced or redistributed without the express written consent of the author. As with every blog on this website, this blog does not reflect the opinion of DeafDC.com.
17 Comments
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Especially we are living in a small deaf world, the idea of crossing a line with an interpreter (on duty) is sometime awfully tempting and a sticky matter.
Everyone has their own personal values. For me, it is honesty, respect, responsibility and integrity. I try to make decisions out of love.
I came from a large family of four brothers and four sisters. All of us were raised well and all of us were put through college for a bachelor’s or higher degree. By hearing hundreds of various stories of the ups and downs my parents had gone through with each kid, I can imagine how extremely challenging the job is to keep the children making good choices and staying on the right path as much as possible. I even learned many more things about how much my mother had done after she passed away almost ten years ago. She made many decisions using an engine of love. Often, it works well for me.
One more thing, I know face-to face communication reduces the misunderstandings better than many other forms of communication. Misunderstanding is common everywhere with anyone.
p.s. I enjoy reading your comments and views.
Well written and thought-provoking blog, Jeannette. I enjoyed reading it (and I have to agree with WAD, I have always enjoyed reading your comments and views that you share here on DeafDC.com, and will make an effort to check out your blog site more often).
This post has caused me to take a trip down memory lane and recall some of the relationships (both positive and negative) that I have had with various interpreters over the years. I’ve had a few situations comparable to your own - where the professional relationship turned into a more personal friendship, only to blow up in our faces.
I do think it is possible to establish good friendships with interpreters, but I think it does require an ability to understand where the boundaries lie, etc. I do notice that the friendships that went sour were with individuals who were regular steady interpreters for me - such as staff interpreters or the like. Freelance interpreters who might interpret for me from time to time but not on a regular basis were easier to maintain that friendship with. Dunno if this makes a difference or not.
Hmmmm…like I said, this was certainly thought-provoking, at least for me. Think I need to ponder it a bit more. I’d be curious to see if others have anything to share on the whole “interpreter friendships” subject.
Oh, and yes…I also agree it is so easy for text communication to get misunderstood and create some conflict as a result. Been there, done that!
Thanks Virginia and WAD. :) I enjoy your comments and views too!
The dynamics certainly are different when you see each other on a regular basis as opposed to not on a regular basis. I doubt this would have happened if she and I didn’t see each other on a regular basis.
Like you, Virginia, I do think it is possible to have friendships with interpreters you work with. But after what happened, I now think it not only requires an ability to understand where your boundaries lie, but also you both gotta have an outstanding sense of integrity and authenticity. Very similar to what WAD said, actually. :)
And well… that’s usually pretty difficult to have in anything. We all have our own baggage that we carry into our relationships.
Truly enjoyed reading your blog that comes with ingenious style! I had learned in a hard way a while ago about two things: interpreters and text-messaging.
My mother’s friend was an interpreter when I went to high school and it caused me to carry uneasy feelings. She was a so-so terp but I could not exactly have a choice because she was a friend of my mother’s and she took ASL class under her one time. At least I was lucky to have a terp for a couple of classes after 7 years growing up in a public school “terpless.” Having that terp was a blessing but it put me in the position not being able to request for the best. That’s when I realized it could be a bit sticky to be attached to a terp who works with us. Anyways, I have still gotten to make some friends who are terps but not in a close sense of friendship.
Using text messaging or any written form especially when discussing topics that can lead to misunderstanding, I have learned just once that it can easily get blown out of proportion. I just avoid this as much as I can, sigh!
Keep on blogging!
hi DP! This blog makes me realize I might have been very, very naive, or maybe very, very lucky, or both. In the mid-70s, I started learning sign language at the exact same time I started having interpreters in my classes at college. It never even occurred to me that anything might be wrong with becoming friends with my interpreters. Like you, we shared one another’s personal and professional lives to a pretty intimate degree. It probably made a difference that we were all living in a relatively small city and everyone related to the deaf community socialized with everyone else. I am still on cordial terms with all of them to this day. Years later, I moved to a larger city where I was on the local chapter of RID’s board of directors for a while, and worked on the interpreter evaluation teams too. My life and their lives were cozily enmeshed. As ASL interpreting became more of a profession, it became possible to actually make a living doing it, so the dynamics of the relationships changed somewhat. Luckily, the pool of interpreters where I live is large enough to have friends who happen to be interpreters but still use others for professional situations.
The misunderstandings that can occur with texting is a new twist, though! That could happen with anyone, not just an interpreter.
I understand what you all mean. Interpreters are HUMAN, not merely robots. Human need interaction in any situation, including their workplace. It is only that it is up to all of us to use “good judgement”.
Students are human, too. Interpreters have to do same things with students, too. In past, if interpreters become friends with deafs, then later they go to public university, then they would find themselves in sticky and complicated situtions that lead the students in more trouble than it was worth for. also if any friends of deafs are met, they are also dragged into it with them. option? leave the public university and start all over again. It was really a big time waster!
i’ve always been cautious about interpreters. I had this experience where i had one who’d get way way too involved with my personal life when i was in 7th grade. And at that time, I just wanted to be me, I wanted no one to follow me. I didn’t want her to be around me, but she kept pushing and pushing. Until I had the final straw and said some stuff that was mean & ended up getting sent to the principal’s office. From that point on, I’ve always been cautious about interpreters, especially in the classroom.
I will admit I’m picky about interpreters. there are only a select few that I like when I request interpreters for my concerts. Usually I get them, just because they’re much more flexible in adapting to my sign preference (I prefer more english than asl at concerts because it’s much easier to understand lyrics when they sign it in english) Otherwise, I don’t mind whatever they sign.
Also, recently I made an apapointment with a doctor & they said they can get an asl interpreter for me. I declined simply because I can communicate fine, and I’ve always felt like that’s crossing the line for me. I know they have ethics, and I believe they do try to keep a line there. But it’s still always uncomfortable for me to have someone I don’t know there find out news that’s so personal to me. I couldn’t imagine.
I respect their choice to want to make our lives easier. and for them to be able to communicate with us easier, it’s almost natural for them to become friends with the deaf. that way they can see and understand what we like and what we don’t like. It’s definitely not an easy job.
I think you should consider maybe it was THAT interpreter who handled it badly. I mean, people do have their own personal idiosnyncracies (sp?), and maybe the terp wasn’t equipped to handle conflict between her personal and professional life.
In that case, I guess it takes some analysis of the relationship itself. For instance, right now, I am friends with an interpreter. She interprets my gym classes at a local community college. We have become friends, and I enjoy working with her.
There was a situation where I needed to bring a terp on a cruise with my family. I explicitly made the decision not to bring her becuase she was too close to me and I did not want her in that role with my family. So I chose another terp, one that I was not as close to, not as friendly with.
I think it really does depend on the situation, the persons involved and what your needs are.
Erin, I was just wondering if you know that when interpreters are interpreting a medical situation, they are gagged not only by their code of ethics, but also by HIPPA? HIPPA sure has teeth, and if they violate it, they’ll land into a world of trouble… more than if you just filed a complaint with RID or the state deaf commission.
That’s great to know about HIPPA. Pardon my ignorance but what does HIPPA stand for?
Too bad RID or the state deaf commission don’t have as much teeth as HIPPA. Isn’t it ironic that while RID and state deaf commission serve the deaf community and our lives depend on them, they have less teeth. That has to change.
Also, thanks for sharing your blog. I have some stories about interpreters, but I’m not going to share them :) They’re just depressing.
It depends on the states actually. I have to ask to be completely sure, but I think now they’re trying to pass a law in MI that if you hire an uncertified interpreter, or you are an uncertified interpreter, both of you could get fined several thousand dollars and/or go to jail. That will make a nice dent here in MI at least.
As for interpreters breaking the code of ethics… Hmm. Not sure what we could do much other than censuring them then taking away their certificate.
My bad. It’s not HIPPA. It’s HIPAA - Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. There’s a ton of information on it if you google it. But basically, it’s a very strict law on protecting your medical privacy.
Thanks for sharing.
When it comes to certifying an interpreter, I have a serious concern about that. I’ve met some interpreters I’m surprised were certified in the first place. Their abide by the code of ethics, professionalism and ASL skills are left to be desired with.
It is my understanding that RID certified many of them before NAD joined to work with RID. I wonder if there’s anything that can be done with those who already got certified.
We need to educate more deaf people to assert for their rights and speak out to be heard by the RID. I think more teeth in the ADA law has to be done.
Yes, asserting rights is important, but do you realize how few certified interpreters there are? While other people go for training, what will we do, wait forever? Maybe you think deaf cancer patients should HOLD treatment until enough certified interpreters are made?
Playing devils advocate…
I know there are laws, and so forth. but still it feels odd to have a third person there with me during an appointment. it’s easier for me to just keep it one on one.
and i do know it varies from interpreter to interpreter as to how the deal with what situation they’re interpreting for. I do believe most of them are ethical. It’s just a privacy thing, as well as an independence thing for me.
A lot of times when an interpreter passed the test. It does not say this interpreter is skilled. That comes with training (Interpreter Training Program), experience and ability to keep all assignments confidential. In addition, not to use the past assignment as a training tool. An example: When I was interpreting at Boston in a mental health solitary and what happen was…. The interpreter gave me an idea and I knew who was in that…. Interpreters should never use that kind of example relating to location of their assignments.
I have hanged out with interpreters after a conference, training or program event. Interpreters loves their profession and I have seen they shared their tough experiences with other interpreters while customer watching their conversation.
The interpreters needs to be more trained in confidentiality. If RID/NAD is reading this and hopefully they will put this on their agenda to train interpreters on that subject.
If I have to go to a psychology clinic and with an interpreter, I will never reveal anything. It is because of interpreter’s confidentiality trust. This is the majority of D/deaf customers utmost concern.
Training on confidentiality and trust will give the D/deaf customers assurance that interpreters do get better and better after training.
Interpreters who don’t practice code of ethics should be taken seriously. It happened to me that this sly terp had an affair with my then husband (married for 10 years) while working for him for months. It broke up my family big time. My young children were devasted by this and never accepted her as a part of a family as they are now married. I also heard that I was not the only one so beware! Can’t trust ‘em all!