Asylum Program of Southern Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

The Asylum Program of Southern Arizona (APSA) is a non-profit, legal aid organization that provides legal assistance for immigrants fleeing persecution who are unable to hire attorneys to represent them before the USCIS and Immigration Court. As neither APSA nor its clients have money to pay for interpreters, a network of trained volunteer interpreters was created in 2002.

Roberta designed and taught three 40-hour courses that met in June 2003, February 2004, and April 2005 on four consecutive Saturdays. The objective was to teach volunteer interpreters the techniques and ethics related to asylum interpreting.

The uniqueness of the course called for extreme sensitivity on the part of these special interpreters as the majority of APSA’s clients were fleeing politically oppressive countries, had spent time in jail, and been subjected to torture. Many of the women represented were instrumental in bringing the issue of female genital mutilation to the forefront of awareness in a traditional society.

The course consisted of basic interpreting skills,with an emphasis on French or Spanish language groups for practical experience. Students who attended all sessions, and completed a course assessment received Certificates of Completion.

The community interpreting syllabus included:

• Overview of the interpreting profession, role of asylum interpreters, definition of terms, and confidentiality
• Interpreting settings: attorney-client meetings, medical, and mental health visits.
• Interpreter protocol: confidentiality, accuracy, completeness, use of first person and triadic interviews.
• Code of Ethics and ethical decision making.
• Process management: interpreting skills, such as listening, memory, comprehension; asking for repetition and clarification; and managing the flow.
• Linguistic issues: finding appropriate equivalents; cultural issues and potential conflicts; and communication patterns.
• Interpreting resources: glossaries, references, use of internet for research and professional development.

Two sessions were designed specifically for asylum interpreters:

• Working with victims of torture, and effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on APSA's clients.
• Overview of legal interpreting techniques and procedures for USCIS interviews in Phoenix.

Student Testimonials

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