Carmela Sagritalo

English<> Tagalog and Spanish Translator

“When I learned about Respond Crisis Translation, it was a lightbulb moment. I finally discovered that my interest in languages could be something more. It turned a hobby into a mission.”

Carmela Sagritalo is an English Language Assistant (Auxiliar de conversación) in a bilingual primary school in Madrid and a freelance Tagalog teacher and translator.

She tells us that Tagalog actually came from the term “taga-ilog”, meaning “one who is from the river.” She says, “I think it’s beautiful; it shows our connection to nature. Sometimes, I would go on walks or on hikes and come across a river and think, ‘This is where I belong, near the river.”’

When asked to share the impact this work has had on her life, Carmela says, “When I was in grade school, I always told my classmates and teachers that I wanted to be a ‘linguist’ although at the time I didn’t really know what it meant. I’ve always been interested in languages, so I study them, organize language exchanges, and attend polyglot meetups. When I learned about Respond Crisis Translation, it was a lightbulb moment. I finally discovered that my interest in languages could be something more. It turned a hobby into a mission. Having that sense of mission gives me purpose. I go about my daily life, and like everyone else, I have bad days, sometimes terrible days, but knowing that I have a purpose and that I am of use to people who might need me gives me that push to move forward.”

Carmela told us what she is most proud of in her work with Respond, “When I started working at Respond, I was translating from Spanish to English. There was a WOW moment for me that I was actually doing this. Spanish is not my native language. I put in the effort, time, money, and more to acquire this skill, and now I am using this skill to help others.I am also proud of the fact that I had the courage to leave home in my teens for college to study Literature, which was not a “safe” career choice. I took the first-ever flight of my life alone to Romania to participate in a teaching internship at 21. At 23, I got to study Indonesian Arts and Culture on a full government scholarship; at 25 moved to Colombia to study Spanish on another full government scholarship. I am proud to be able to have these experiences by not fully depending on anyone.”

Carmela believes language justice is, “For me, language justice is not just about language access, but it is also justice for our languages. For centuries, languages have been suppressed.”

She recently discovered that she is neurodivergent and says, “I have to take extra care of my mental health. I make sure to take care of my basic needs first: sleep, water, food that makes me feel good, a warm shower, and a short walk. I am also fortunate enough to have a support system of doctors, therapists, and good friends. The most difficult part about the work at Respond is the mental load translating and interpreting require. I think many people underestimate the labor of translation and interpretation and their toll on our bodies.”

And as a follow-up, “When I was in grade school, I always told my classmates and teachers that I wanted to be a “linguist” although I didn’t really know what it meant at the time. I’ve always been interested in languages, so I study them, organize language exchanges, and attend polyglot meetups. When I learned about Respond Crisis Translation, it was a lightbulb moment. I finally discovered that my interest in languages could be something more. It turned a hobby into a mission. Having that sense of mission gives me purpose. I go about my daily life, and like everyone else, I have bad days, sometimes terrible days, but knowing that I have a purpose and that I am of use to people who might need me gives me that push to move forward.”

Here are Carmela’s answers to some rapid-fire questions:

Can you share a fun or little-known fact about yourself?

I come from a family of musicians, and I’ve tried playing different instruments, such as the gamelan (Indonesia) and the gayageum (Korea). 

Favorite word in any language? Why?

Ataraxia (Greek: ἀταραξία). It roughly translates to “unperturbedness, " which is my life goal.