Championing Indigenous Rights in Interpretation with Odilia Romero [EP 78]

Subject to Interpretation

In this episode of Subject to Interpretation, host Maria Ceballos-Wallis sits down with Odilia Romero, a leading advocate for Indigenous rights, to explore the challenges Indigenous interpreters face and the work being done to create a more equitable code of ethics in interpreting practices. Odilia shares her experiences from growing up in Oaxaca to co-founding Comunidades Indígenas en Liderazgo (Cielo). Tune in to listen to Maria and Odilia's discussion on the importance of language access, the concept of language violence, and the need for culturally relevant interpreting practices.
Cielo: https://mycielo.org
Born in Zoogocho, Oaxaca, Odilia Romero is the co-founder and executive director of Comunidades Indígenas en Liderazgo (CIELO). She is also an independent interpreter of Zapotec, Spanish, and English for indigenous communities in Los Angeles and throughout California. She has more than two decades of experience organizing indigenous migrant communities, and advocating for language access. Her knowledge and experience are highly
regarded, with multiple academic publications, awards, and lectures in universities across the United States. In 2024, she was listed on the ‘L.A. Influential’ list, for her work eradicating indigenous stereotypes. Ms.Romero has published on the challenges of training indigenous interpreters, developing women’s leadership, and preparing a new generation of youth. Her work has also been featured in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, Vogue, Democracy Now!, Quien, El País, TED X, Forbes, and the Day Emmy award-winning series Pan Y Circo "Nadie es ilegal migrantes de Ida y Vuelta" with Diego Luna.