Must the flame lick our doorstep / before we acknowledge the fire?

Wildfire season has returned to the West Coast with exceptional fury. Year after year, the fires start earlier and are contained later, ravaging homes and businesses, millions of acres of land, and countless animal and human lives.

In 2020 several fires continued blazing into December, and 2021 threatens to be similarly catastrophic. According to a report by CNN, wildfires have already burned around 3 million acres this year––an area greater than that of Rhode Island and Delaware combined. On the heels of a record-breaking heatwave, with moderate to severe drought affecting over 90% of land in California, Oregon, and Washington, conditions are unlikely to improve any time soon.

In the face of such catastrophes, there are several ways to protect ourselves and our neighbors. Every year, many sectors work together to do just that. Translation and interpretation represent two of the less obvious––but tremendously important––ones.

Language access services are indispensable in times of crisis, whether personal, local, or global. These fires underscore our undeniable need for multilingual emergency alert systems (for earthquakes, hurricanes, and other severe weather events as well).

“A recent report in Grist highlighted the importance of providing accurate and human-developed translations of public safety warnings, in order to ensure that we don’t leave behind individuals with limited English proficiency in our response to natural disasters,” says Andrew Warner, a California journalist writing for

Multilingual.com.

Warner explains that quality translations of crucial public-safety information about wildfires are limited, if available at all. According to U.S. Census data, some 44% of California residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish accounts for roughly 28%), and yet a 2017 state audit found that in several of the counties most affected by these fires––“some of the most severe … in the state’s history”––residents had not received “adequate warnings in languages other than English.”

The numbers don’t look much better in Washington or Oregon, where 20% and 15% of the states’ respective residents do not speak English at home. In the rural areas of both states––those hardest hit by wildfires––hese numbers increase exponentially. In Eastern Washington’s Adams County, for example, roughly 50% speak Spanish at home.

Some communities have turned to services such as Google Translate to improve the accessibility of their emergency alerts by broadcasting them in more than one language, but machine translations are not always reliable. Warner cites an example from Ventura County, California, where “in 2017, an automatic translation of a wildfire notice … mistranslated … ‘brush fire’ using the Spanish word for ‘hairbrush.’” This may seem more comical than alarming but, when time is of the essence, accuracy is key. Avoiding confusion can save lives.

Whatever the disaster and whatever our politics, proficiency in a given language (or lack thereof) should never impede one's access to critical information about threats to their personal security.

Information about preparedness, evacuation, and safe sheltering should always be of quality and readily available to all residents of our diverse society. It is therefore critical that local government entities (along with community groups and faith-based organizations) employ more human translators in their efforts to spread the word––quickly, clearly and without equivocation.

Doing so could be the difference between home and homeless, or life and death.

In an article for nwLaborPress.org called "Medical interpreters unite," Don McIntosh explains this watershed moment: “The State of Oregon on April 23 recognized a union for as many as 500 medical interpreters who translate for Medicaid patients" (1). 

As independent contractors, Oregon interpreters have long been unable to unionize. This year, however, Oregon AFSCME (one of the largest member-driven unions in the state) helped pass HB 2231—which allows medical interpreters to unionize, influencing wages, paid time off, fair scheduling, affordable healthcare, and more.

Fig.1. From Oregon Interpreters in Action; pamphlet accessible at: http://interpretersinaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Two-Pager.pdf 

These efforts have been years in the making in Oregon. In neighboring Washington State—considered by some to be a model for freelance language professionals countrywide—medical interpreters "recently achieved major improvements through a similar process" (1). Today, medical interpreters in Washington State can earn about $42 per hour, compared to $18-25 for their counterparts in Oregon.

A 2018 post in the ATA Interpreters Division blog—“Washington State: Leading the Way for Professional Interpreters” (2)—explains the “model”:

In the past, Washington paid interpreters through language companies that retained some 40% of the money the state paid for their services. But since 2010, Washington interpreters have seen a significant wage increase and, as many attest, an improvement to the quality of their work and life. In 2010, a state bill “granted freelance interpreters unionization rights for appointments paid by two Washington State agencies, DSHS and HCA” and then, in 2011, “a provision in the state budget created a new procurement model for interpreting services.” As a result, the aforementioned language companies now keep less than 15% of what the state spends in interpreting services. (2)

The evolving situation in Washington State is what Dennis Eagle, WFSE/AFSCME legislative and political action director, calls a win-win: “This bill makes our procurement process more cost-efficient and effective, lowering costs for taxpayers — increasing pay for interpreters” (3).

While the passage of HB 2231 in Oregon State may only be one step in a long and complex process (complete with contract negotiations), many newly unionized interpreters in Oregon are enthusiastic about what looks to them like a more just and equitable future.

According to Maria Fiallos, a medical interpreter for Spanish speakers: “[we] have nowhere to go but up” (1).

______________________________________________________________________

(1) https://nwlaborpress.org/2021/05/medical-interpreters-unite/ 
(2) http://www.ata-divisions.org/ID/washington-state-senate-bill-6245/ 
(3) https://www.thestand.org/2018/02/expand-win-win-interpreter-model-to-other-state-agencies/

Hello NOTIS members!

I am Brianna Salinas, the new Marketing and Communications Specialist for NOTIS.  

If you have any questions for me about engaging with NOTIS social media channels or if you simply want to say ‘hello’, don’t hesitate to contact me at briannaren3e@gmail.com

A little about me:

I earned an MA in Hispanic Literary Studies at the University of Washington.

While at the UW, I worked with Katie King on a Multi-Disciplinary Translation Studies group whose goal was to build a community of and for translators and translation scholars.

I also had the honor of working alongside three passionate and prolific faculty translators (Richard Watts, Heekyoung Cho, and Michael Biggins) who built the UW Translation Studies Hub.

I am an emerging translator. While my personal focus may be on literary translation, I am eager to learn more about the important work of our interpreting community as well! 

What I am here for:

I will be helping NOTIS with social media, blog posts, the Northwest Linguist newsletter, and more. My goal is to:

• amplify NOTIS’s public-facing presence,
• create support for all that NOTIS does across various platforms, and
• recruit new members along the way.

Overall, I view this as an incredible opportunity to continue the community-building and advocacy work I engaged in at the UW. 


A couple of updates:

• NOTIS is interested in adding member news sections and/or a member spotlight to upcoming blog posts and newsletters.
• If you would like to share a recent announcement or achievement (e.g., a publication, certification, new course, etc.) with fellow NOTIS members, please contact me at briannaren3e@gmail.com

Additionally, if you are interested in sending a photo or blurb from a recent event, please do not hesitate to do so!


Our new and updated social media pages are as follows: 

• Twitter - @notis_net
• LinkedIn 
• Facebook 
• Instagram 

As for Instagram, there is little to see at the moment. Soon, we will be uploading announcements and event photos there, too.

I am beyond excited to be working with NOTIS and I look forward to meeting more of you in the coming months! Perhaps at a Feedback Forum? Or the annual picnic?

All the best,
Brianna Salinas 

NOTIS is saddened to learn of the recent passing of Heidi Schmaltz, a dedicated interpreter and translator and treasured friend. Member Helen Eby provides this moving tribute for Heidi.

***

Heidi Schmaltz (1982 – 2021)

Heidi lived for 38 years. During the “dash,” between 1982 and 2021, she made an impact on colleagues, friends, and on the profession.

I was one of those colleagues. We enjoyed having tea together after interpreting events in Clackamas. We got together to chat over lunch between interpreting appointments. She would call me to cover her appointments when she couldn’t make it… but I think it was just so we could have tea when I was close by.

She was an accomplished woman. A certified court and healthcare interpreter and literary translator, she also taught Spanish at the university level. Her translations appeared in the New England Review. They were published in this volume, posthumously.

She took advantage of opportunities. A training-of-trainers event for healthcare interpreters was to be held at Western Oregon University, where we would stay on campus for the week. At the time, Heidi was preparing to take the Oregon court interpreting oral exam. I asked her to come anyway, because some top-notch Oregon certified court interpreters would be there and could coach her outside of class time. She came, her room became a coaching hub, and she passed! She was relentless. 

She volunteered. Heidi was a founding member of the Oregon Society of Translators and Interpreters, where she served on the nomination committee. She was also a member of every professional group that was relevant to her work: American Translators Association, National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators, Northwest Translators and Interpreters Society… She was a member of Interpreters United until 2019. She did advocacy. She taught. She was there to help the profession grow, and gave presentations for the associations to which she belonged.

I went to one of Heidi’s classes and observed the relationship she had with her students. They just loved her! She taught with kindness, compassion, and I got the idea she didn’t let anything slip by, either. 

We went to the Oregon state legislature together on many occasions, advocating for the profession. We shared a passion for setting up a better world for our colleagues, but also for the non-English speaking people we serve. Heidi also worked on those issues with colleagues in Washington state. 

To me, she was more than a colleague. She was also my friend. Her bridal shower was at my home. Heidi loved her husband deeply and was so happy to get married! Pablo is Cuban, so she went to Cuba to know his country better. They loved each other fiercely and were such a beautiful couple!

Heidi loved her mom. I remember when she brought her mom to give a presentation on medical terminology. At the time, her mom was a physical therapist and Heidi invited her to speak to a group of interpreters. The give-and-take between them was just beautiful. 

Heidi loved to walk. If the interpreting appointment was within walking distance, that is how she would get there.

She loved books. We compared notes on books all the time. Literature, linguistics, dictionaries, everything. Pablo told me she always looked for the local bookstore whenever she visited a new country.

I miss my friend. When I learned that she would not be there for a phone call or a cup of tea… I could think of nothing else for a week. Heidi’s life was cut short at 38. Now it is time to continue the work we started together. 

Heidi’s work at the Oregon Council for Healthcare Interpreters

As a member of the Oregon Council for Healthcare Interpreters, Heidi gave of herself generously.

We were both nerdy. Heidi, too, loved digging into an issue, researching it, and finding ways to serve our colleagues. Together, we researched ways to update the language proficiency requirements for Oregon Healthcare Interpreters. We researched how to evaluate language proficiency testing programs. We researched… and researched… and that all got poured into work that benefited the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) program.

The most recent result of our study of language proficiency served as the foundational research for the Language Proficiency Testing Vendor Application for the Oregon Health Authority office of Equity and Inclusion. Now, the Council has a way to evaluate vendors who test language proficiency. Heidi even studied to be an ACTFL rater, and applied her knowledge to this project after we had exhausted all other possible research avenues. It takes 6 months of study to be an ACTFL rater! That is how dedicated she was to getting things right.

Together, we updated the language proficiency requirements for healthcare interpreters. After researching every single requirement on the list, we found that some were below the Advanced Mid level on the ACTFL scale. Some tests were no longer being administered, while others were written exams, not oral proficiency exams. As a result of this work with Heidi, Oregon healthcare interpreters had a more accurate evaluation. 

She was also involved in advocacy regarding the legal framework for healthcare interpreting in Oregon. At the public hearing the last time the law for healthcare interpreters was amended, she pointed out that Council members give of their professional time and their work should be treated with respect. She argued that the OHA should generally follow the guidance of the professional subject matter experts who willingly donate their time, and should let them know when implementation of the advice was not practical. The OHA has been following that recommendation ever since, even though the principle is not enshrined in law.

Heidi was dedicated. She always looked for ways to improve the situation for healthcare interpreters and the people we serve. It took intense research, phone calls, emails, and meetings outside the official meetings, but she got it done. 

It was a pleasure to work with Heidi. I grew by working with her. I miss her.

By Helen Eby

Links:

Obituary of Heidi Astrid Schmaltz | Crown Memorial Centers Crematio... (crowncremationburial.com)

Oregon Health Authority : Oregon Health Authority Approved Health Care Interpreter (HCI) Training Programs : Office of Equity and Inclusion : State of Oregon

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/OEI/HCI%20Non%20Meeting%20Documents/Language%20Proficiency%20Testing%20Vendor%20Application.docx

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/OEI/Documents/HCI-Requirements-Explained-12-16-2016-Updates.pdf

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/OEI/Pages/HCI-Resources-Events-Policy-Laws.aspx 

The City of Seattle's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs is designing updates to its language access program and wants input from working community translators and interpreters! To contribute, please fill out the survey in the link below by Monday, April 26. The full invitation is below.  -NOTIS

***

If you are interested in learning more about our work or would like to share your insights, please fill out this Community Translator Survey by Monday, 4/26 to help us better design our program. Please help share the survey with other translators or interpreters you know.

Please feel free to reach out to Peggy Liao (Peggy.Liao@seattle.gov) or Jessica Sidhu (Jessica.Sidhu@seattle.gov) with any questions.

Thank you!

This spring, NOTIS plans to hire a part-time Marketing and Communications Specialist to help us improve our services to current and new members, grow student and younger membership and help us intensify our presence throughout our five-state geographic region. Would you or someone you know be a good fit?

We are looking for someone who can work 8 – 10 hours per week, with flexible timing. This is a 6 month contract with the potential for renewal. The Marketing and Communications Specialist is a remote position, but the candidate must reside in one of NOTIS' five member states (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, or Alaska). And the position comes with one free year of NOTIS membership.

Why Work for NOTIS?

This is a great opportunity to use your marketing and communications talents to help further NOTIS' mission and positively impact our community of language professionals. The position offers plenty of opportunities to contribute with constructive ideas to improve all of NOTIS' marketing and communications efforts and will provide valuable experience for someone interested in furthering their career in marketing and communications.

For details, please download the complete job ad here. Feel free to share with your network! The application deadline is May 3, 2021.

The American Translators Association (ATA) has sent a letter to the United States Senate addressing freelance translators and interpreters' concerns about the proposed PRO Act, which would reclassify some independent contractors as employees. If you followed the controversy over California's AB 5 bill over the past two years, you might recognize these issues, now being discussed at the national level.

Read ATA's letter to the Senate here, and consider contacting your own senators if you have an opinion about the bill. If you have questions about the bill or ATA's advocacy activities, please email the ATA committee at advocacy@atanet.org.

In November 2020, Crosscut published a news article addressing concerns that legal processes are being delayed in the Seattle area because interpreters are refusing to work in person in courts and jails. In consultation with interested parties, NOTIS's Legal Division has authored a response, pointing out that methods exist for interpreters to deliver high-quality services without needlessly risking exposure to COVID-19. That response is copied below.

***

On November 18th, CrossCut published an article by David Kroman entitled “COVID-19 delays justice for King County inmates who need interpreters - Non-English speakers are receiving substandard legal representation because interpreters won’t appear in person, attorneys say.”

NOTIS, the Northwest Translators and Interpreters Society, is compelled to present a very different perspective on the dire situation faced by Limited English Proficient (LEP) inmates today.

The very same week that CrossCut published this article, the New York Times printed an op-ed by its editorial staff: “America Is Letting the Coronavirus Rage Through Prisons.” The NYT article sites horrifying statistics about infection rates in correctional facilities, summarizing them with this conclusion: “The American penal system is a perfect breeding ground for the virus.” And yet, not only are interpreters being asked to work inside these facilities, they are blamed for the miscarriages of justice suffered by non-English speaking inmates because of their “unwillingness” to do so.

In Washington State, while court interpreters are officers of the court, they are not employees of the court, nor of the city or county that the court serves. Thus, they do not receive any of the benefits of employees, notably medical insurance and paid sick leave. Interpreters are independent contractors for whom illness has a direct financial impact.

COVID has wreaked economic hardship far and wide—on interpreters as well. When an interpreter declines an assignment, it is due to the extraordinary risk it entails and not to an overabundance of alternative assignments. Interpreters are eager to render their professional services when provided a safe and effective way to do so.

The responsibility of providing safe conditions for adequate interpretation for LEP inmates in King County lies squarely at the feet of the county. Interpreters who decline assignments requiring them to expose themselves and others to substantial risk of infection are behaving rationally and responsibly. When attorneys meet with inmates in the jail, it is in a cubicle slightly larger than a phone booth, with the inmate seated on the other side of a glass barrier and both parties using an old-fashioned telephone handset.

The problems described in David Kroman’s article are solvable without subjecting interpreters to high risk or scapegoating them for their “unwillingness” to assume this risk themselves. The notion that an interpreter needs to be in a huddle with the recipient of their interpretation is arcane. Indeed, many courts and correctional facilities have found excellent solutions, that simply require modern technology and advanced planning.

When COVID struck in March, 2020, everyone scrambled to find safe ways to interact and continue to provide just about every conceivable type of service. Indeed, most municipal and district courts in King County and elsewhere have utilized platforms such as Zoom and WebEx to hold court and provide access to interpretation for anyone who needs it. They quickly figured out how to facilitate confidential attorney-client communications, bringing interpreters into the confidential virtual “room” whenever needed. SCORE jail in south King County has been successfully connecting interpreters remotely by video.

As for documents, such as guilty pleas, that attorneys wish to review with their clients with the assistance of an interpreter, they need only be sent electronically to the interpreter so that the interpreter can sight translate the document to the defendant. This is nothing new, and given their importance, the interpreter should always be provided a copy of any documents.

For most interpreters, particularly in high-demand languages, interpreting is their livelihood. They are highly skilled professionals who must pass rigorous examinations to become certified court interpreters and must maintain this credential through many hours of continuing education and in-court experience. Their job is cognitively demanding and emotionally taxing.

Court Interpreters´ professional ethics and standards of practice exist to maintain a very high quality of interpretation. Court Interpreters are often the direct providers of language access in the justice system, but they are not the ones creating access problems, nor do they have the power to fix them on their own. May this letter serve as the catalyst to dispel misinformation, find solutions, and acknowledge the proper respect due to this profession.

And we don't mean the U.S. election! NOTIS members will vote on bylaws amendments and appoint a new Board of Directors by acclamation this December. Active members, please check your email for more details. 

Please review the Proposed Bylaws Amendments and Slate of Candidates in the members-only section of our website (you must log in to view those pages). Individual and Honorary members whose dues are paid will be allowed to vote, so this is a great time to check your membership status.

A message from the NOTIS board.

Right now, Seattle, Portland, and other cities in the NOTIS region continue to see protests every day, triggered by the killing of George Floyd. At NOTIS, we know that our region is not immune to the dire effects of institutional racism and other kinds of prejudice. We’re lucky to be a naturally diverse organization, with members and a leadership board representing multiple nationalities and languages. And we’re proud that our professions – translation and interpretation – play a vital role in ensuring effective communication between people of different experiences, cultures and backgrounds. Whether in poetry or in the schools, in a hospital room or a courtroom, interpreters and translators help make every voice heard, and we do our part to ensure justice is served and opportunities are equal. But if there’s anything this time of protests around the country has taught us, it’s that all of us can always do better. We all must continue to educate ourselves, examine our prejudices, and try our best to make a positive difference.

To that end, NOTIS invites our members to a new conversation on racial justice, specifically within our professions. What else can NOTIS do as an organization to contribute more to this cause? Please join our conversation by commenting below. We welcome your ideas!

Please remember that your online comments will be visible to everyone. Keep your comments respectful and constructive. NOTIS will be monitoring this discussion closely.