•  
  •  
 

Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal

Document Type

Article

Abstract

The question of navigating cultural codes and nuances has been widely debated in the field of interpreting, with scholars advocating either for interpreters to be active cultural mediators for the people they are interpreting for, or to steer on the side of remaining culturally neutral. However, these perspectives have not adequately addressed the issue of cultural collisions and unspoken norms that may be prevalent in the backgrounds of the interpreters themselves, namely those located in Minnesota. My paper addresses the issue of cultural assimilation in interpreting, with special attention to the implicit cultural rules prevalent in Minnesota. The specific material examined in this autoethnography includes personal narratives and anecdotes related to navigating the clash between Scandinavian cultural roots and the influx of immigrants from diverse backgrounds in Minnesota, most notably Colombian culture. In my autoethnography, I will be looking at personal experiences and narratives of cultural collisions, emphasizing the challenges posed by unspoken social rules. I aim to show the impact of implicit cultural norms on interpersonal relationships and the need for interpreters to embrace a "meeting in the middle" approach. I will discuss the reservedness, avoidance of physical affection, and passive aggressiveness ingrained in the Minnesotan mindset, juxtaposed against the more expressive and touch-oriented cultural practices of latino immigrants. Through these comparisons, I intend to reveal the previously misunderstood connections between cultural assimilation and effective communication in interpreting. I argue that interpreters must cultivate self-awareness, cultural sensitivity, and communicative autonomy to bridge the gap between diverse cultural perspectives, not only for the users of the interpreting service, but also for the interpreters themselves. In conclusion, this project, by closely examining personal narratives and cultural clashes, sheds new light on the neglected issue of implicit cultural norms in Minnesota and emphasizes the crucial role of interpreters in fostering cross-cultural understanding through a "meeting in the middle" approach.

Primo Type

Article

Download

Share

COinS