If Only Something Could Have Been Done!
Among Bianca Velez’s many complaints about a recent rally for reproductive choice she attended:
As upset as I was to not physically be at the rally, there were other issues with the overflow room that were really irksome. We were surrounded by men and women who traveled with us on [the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health]’s bus that did not speak English, and yet there was no interpreter in sight. Uh, BIG problem. They came to show their support, but how could they when they couldn’t understand what was going on? This was an example of inexcusably poor organizing.
Man, do I ever know the feeling. Whenever I show up at an event with a large, organized group of Spanish-speaking people, and they haven’t thought to provide an interpreter for us, I get so frustrated that I write a long irate blog post about it.
And when I say “write a long irate blog post,” I mean “translate.”
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Really? Have you been to a rally with a majority Spanish speaking people, in the States at least? Sure…
I don’t think it is horrible that they didn’t have a translator, I think she’s naive for expecting one would be provided. It’s kind of silly. That being said, I do think it’s odd that someone didn’t thing to bring a translator along, because Biance did write “We rode on a bus organized by the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH), with colleagues I already knew”
Weird that Bianca and the “colleagues” didn’t think about translation or make sure to ask if they should bring one with them.
But you know what: isn’t this a bit of a low hanging fruit post? The writer is this 19 year old kid who unfairly or not, seems really damn intimidated by the fact that she’s young, female and Puerto Rican and there are very few people like here in the movement she’s a part of. Should she just grow up and get over it? I’d like to tell her to get thicker skin and yes, get over it welcome to the world, but I also know where she’s coming from in a sense. I was once a young naive Chicana 19 yr old chick from East L.A. This post strikes me as a little unfair.
A rally? Probably not. Events? Sure, plenty.
As for the author, she seems to have confidence enough to articulate a number of forceful criticisms of the rally organizers; I don’t think I’m going to crush her fragile spirit by pointing out that this particular one seems silly.
Funny. it didnt occur to me that you were going to crush her fragile spirit or something like that. i just thought it was so obviously naive why bother. yeah, well….