By Dayana Huerta, Taller de José Compañera
From a young age, I knew that when I grew up, I wanted to have a career where I could use my talents to give back to my community. Coming from an immigrant household, I felt called to help this underserved group. There was a time when my parents spoke no English, and they raised me to be equally fluent in English and Spanish, so that I would, one day, be their personal interpreter. One of the things that drew me to Taller de José was the opportunity to learn more about the immigration system and offer clients assistance with the language barrier, by interpreting for their civics exam to obtain U.S. citizenship, the same way I have been interpreting for my parents my entire life.
I was very nervous the first time I went to USCIS to interpret a citizenship interview. Although I was confident in my Spanish abilities, the place was intimidating. I was more nervous than the interviewee. As it turns out, I had no reason to fear. The client passed her interview, and I successfully interpreted every word. This was when I really started to feel like my work at Taller de José matters. My client was immensely grateful for the services we were able to offer her. I am very lucky to have been born in this country and now have the opportunity to give back to the many people who came here from Latin American countries seeking a better life, as my family did. Working at Taller de José is something I enjoy because it feels familiar to how I serve my parents at home; booking their appointments, accompanying them to their doctor visits, and teaching them how to use the internet. Sometimes my appointments with clients feel like an aunt or uncle is coming to ask for help the way a family would at home.
I am excited to continue expanding my Spanish vocabulary through these accompaniments and find new ways to better serve Chicago’s immigrant communities.
