Justice for All? Issues Faced by Linguistic Minorities and Border Patrol Agents during Interpreted Arraignment Interviews

Article Sidebar

PDF
Published: Feb 9, 2016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.6035/MonTI.2015.7.7
Keywords:
Remote interpreting, Language access, Official transcript, Interpreter’s performance, Interpreting quality

Main Article Content

Claudia Angelelli
Heriot-Watt University

Abstract

The Tijuana (Mexico) - San Ysidro (San Diego County, CA) international border is the world’s busiest port of entry. The US Customs and Border Protection Agency hires over 60,000 employees, 21,000 of whom are agents in the US Border Patrol. Several steps must be taken to become a border patrol agent, but being bilingual is not a pre-requisite. In order to communicate with detainees, and interrogate them, the US Border Patrol Agency hires the services of Telephone Interpreting Companies. In this study I present segments of a 2 hour and fifty minute transcript that captures a typical border patrol agent /detainee interaction facilitated by an ad-hoc interpreter. I examine the power differentials between the interlocutors and the role played by the telephone interpreter in mitigating or reinforcing such power. After analyzing the interpreter’s credentials and the border patrol linguistic needs, I specifically look at interpreter’s linguistic behaviors that lead to a detention reversed during the trial. This study calls into question the construct of justice when serving the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse populations. 

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

How to Cite
Angelelli, C. (2016). Justice for All? Issues Faced by Linguistic Minorities and Border Patrol Agents during Interpreted Arraignment Interviews. MonTI. Monographs in Translation and Interpreting, (7), 181–205. https://doi.org/10.6035/MonTI.2015.7.7
Issue
No. 7 (2015): Legal Interpreting at a Turning Point
Section
Articles

The documents contained in these directories are included by the contributing authors as a means to ensure timely dissemination of scholarly and technical work on a non-commercial basis. It is understood that all persons copying this information will adhere to the terms and constraints invoked by each author's copyright. These works may not be reposted without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.

References

Ainsworth, Janet. (2008) “‘You have the right to remain silent...’ but only if you ask for it just so: the role of linguistic ideology in American police interrogation law.” The International Journal of Speech, Language and the Law 15:1, pp. 1-23.

Angelelli, Claudia. (2000) “Interpretation as a communicative event: A look through Hymes’ lenses.” Meta 45:4, pp. 580-592. Electronic version available at: http://erudit.org/revue/meta/2000/v45/n4/001891ar.pdf

Angelelli, Claudia. (2004) Revisiting the interpreter’s role: A study of conference, court and medical interpreters in Canada, Mexico, and in the United States. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.

Berk-Seligson, Susan. (2000) “Interpreting for the police: Issues in pre-trial phases of the judicial process.” Forensic Linguistics 7:2, pp. 212-237.

Berk-Seligson, Susan. (2011) “Negotiation and communicative accommodation in bilingual police interrogations: a critical interactional sociolinguistic perspective.” International Journal of the Sociology of Language 207, pp. 29-58.

Besson, Chantal; Daria Graf; Insa Hartung; Barbara Kropfhäusser & Séverine Voisard. (2005) “The importance of non-verbal communication in professional interpretation.” International Association of Conference Interpreters. Electronic version available at: http://aiic.net/page/1662/the-importance-of-non-verbal-communication-in-professional-interpretation/lang/1

Degueldre, Christian. (2005) “Determining language proficiency levels for language professionals: issues and challenges for translators and interpreters in the United States.” Forum 3:1, pp. 67-93.

Fishman, Clifford S. (2006) “Recordings, transcripts, and translations as evidence.” Washington Law Review 81:3, pp. 437-523.

Hamel, Rainer Enrique. (1995) “Derechos lingüísticos como derechos humanos: debates y perspectivas.” Alteridades 5:10, pp. 11-23.

Hymes, Dell H. (1974) Foundations in sociolinguistics: An ethnographic approach. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Kahaner, Steven M. (2009) “The administration of justice in a multilingual society - open to interpretation or lost in translation?” Judicature 92:5, pp. 224-231.

Liu, Minhua. (2004) “Working Memory and Expertise in Simultaneous Interpreting.” Interpreting 6:1, pp. 19-42.

Moser-Mercer, Barbara. (2000) “Simultaneous Interpreting: Cognitive Potential and Limitations.” Interpreting 5:2, pp. 83-94.

Ozolins, Uldis. (2001) “Telephone interpreting: Understanding practice and identifying research needs.” The International Journal for Translation & Interpreting Research 3:1, pp. 33-47.

Pavlenko, Aneta. (2008). “‘I’m very not about the law part’: Nonnative speakers of English and the Miranda warnings.” TESOL Quarterly 42:1, pp. 1-30.

Reddy, Michael J. (1979) “The Conduit Metaphor: A Case of Frame Conflict in our Language about Language.” In: Ortony, Andrew. (ed.) 1979. Metaphor and Thought. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 284-324.

Rogers, R.; A. Correa; R. Hoersting; D. Shuman; K. Sewell; L. Hazelwood & H. Blackwood. (2008) “Spanish Translations of Miranda Warnings and the Totality of the Circumstances.” Law and Human Behavior 33, pp. 61-69.

Rosenberg, Ellen; Robbyn Seller & Yvan Leanza. (2008) “Through interpreters’ eyes: comparing roles of professional and family interpreters.” Patient Education and Counseling 80: 87-93. DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2007.09.015

Stana, Richard M. (2007) Border Patrol: Costs and Challenges Related to Training New Agents. Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives. Washington: U.S. Govt. Accountability Office.

Swender, E.; D. J. Conrad & R. Vicars. (2012) ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. Alexandria: ACTFL, Inc.

Van Dijk, Teun. (2000) “Discourse and access.” In: Phillipson, R. (ed.) 2000. Rights to language: equity, power and education. New York: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates, pp. 73-78.

Various authors (Language Testing International). (2014) Understanding Proficiency with LTI. Electronic version available at: http://www.languagetesting.com/how-long-does-it-take

Various authors (National Commission on Excellence in Education). (1983) “A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform.” The Elementary School Journal 84:2, pp. 112-130.

Various authors. (2013) Professional Standards and Ethics for California Court Interpreters (Fifth Edition). Electronic version available at: http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/CIP-Ethics-Manual.pdf

Various authors (United States Census Bureau). (2010) State & county quickfacts. Electronic version available at: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06000.html

Various authors (U.S. Department of Homeland Security). (2014a) U.S. Border Patrol Fiscal Year 2013 Statistics. Electronic version available at: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/border_security/border_patrol/usbp_statistics/usbp_fy13_stats/

Various authors (U.S. Department of Homeland Security). (2014b) Preparation Manual for the U.S. Border Patrol Entrance Examination. Electronic versión available at: http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/careers/study_guides/guides_bp/entry_guide/bp_entrance_exam.ctt/prep1896.pdf

Various authors (U.S. General Services Administration). (2013) San Ysidro Land Port of Entry Fact Sheet. Electronic version available at: http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/105703

White, R. (2006) Aqui se habla Espanol: Officers learn basics of Spanish catered to job. Electronic version available at: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/CustomsToday/2006/april/officers_learn_spanish.xml