Maritza Morales
English<>Spanish Translator and Interpreter
“I have never been more aware of how important language justice is. Getting involved with Respond, and following the news and current conflicts around the world have made me reflect on the right that every person has to communicate in her/his own language—to be understood and listened to.”
Maritza Morales is an English > Spanish freelance translator. She feels fortunate to have lived half of her life in South America and half in Europe. This mix of cultures has made her a strong, curious and open-minded woman. She is proud of the person she is today, “with solid roots and branches that grow more and more.”
Maritza shares something about Spanish that people wouldn’t necessarily know, “Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the world. If you hear someone speaking Spanish, perhaps you will not be able to tell if he/she is from Latin American or Spain. Well, Spanish speakers can hear that difference. But even for us, it can get tricky when hearing a word that might have a different meaning depending on the country. For example, in Chile the word guagua means baby, while in other countries like Puerto Rico or Mexico means bus. If you do not know this, you can definitely mistranslate something!”
When asked what motivates her to be a part of Respond, she says, “I have always been passionate about the humanitarian field, and during my whole adult life I have tried to be involved in projects related to this area. During the pandemic, I lost my job. It gave me a lot of time to think about what I really wanted to do with my life. I knew I wanted to help and be useful. Finding Respond and being able to be part of this fantastic and committed team has been an incredible honor and one of the most rewarding things I have done in my life. I am delighted to work with the team!”
Maritza shares how she takes care of her mental health while doing this challenging work: “I take care of myself by doing sports, eating well, and doing things that I love. I also talk to a professional who gives me guidance and helps me focus on the important aspects of life. Sometimes the work can be challenging as you learn about someone else’s life and realize how difficult life be for many people. They struggle every day for better living conditions. It can be overwhelming as you feel powerless in front of scenarios where they are not heard or helped as they should be.”
Maritza tells us, “Thanks to Respond, I have learned so many things and opened my vision of the world 360 degrees. It has made me more aware of the injustices around the world and made me willing to be a better person, more connected to people, and more empathic. I am proud of all the work I have done with Respond. Each translation/interpretation is a personal challenge and I put all my heart into it. I hope to continue learning and become a better translator. Learning new things and being aware that my work helps other people makes me feel happy and proud.”
We asked Maritza how she would define language justice, and she said, “I have never been more aware of how important language justice is. Getting involved with Respond, and following the news and current conflicts around the world have made me reflect on the right that every person has to communicate in her/his own language—to be understood and listened to.”
Here are Maritza’s answers to some rapid fire questions:
Can you share a fun or little-known fact about yourself?
Summer breeze… I just love that feeling! When I am running and I feel tired, the fresh breeze comes and reinvigorates my soul and make me feel in peace.
Favorite word in any language? Why?!
Gattara. It is an Italian word to define a person who devotes part of her time to assisting stray cats or simple loving cats! I like this word because, of course, I am a gattara!
