Who We Are

Interpreter and Translator

Born and raised in Mexico, Azucena Garza has lived in Austin for over a decade.  Given her bilingual education throughout her elementary and secondary school years, she possess a near-native fluency in English. She has a degree in International Studies and an MBA. Azucena has been a translator for almost thirty years, working mostly in the fields of business and environment/sustainability. She started interpreting after she arrived in Austin, and trained with the Language Justice Collective in 2016. She has served as a medical, community and social justice interpreter for Seton, the City of Austin, the University of Texas and grassroots organizations such as Grassroots Leadership, BASTA and TOP.

Interpreter and Translator

texaslanguageservices@gmail.com

Carolina Martin grew up in Concepcion, Chile and has been living in Austin for more than 10 years. Living in a non-English speaking country, she developed an interest in the English language at a young age while listening to BBC English tapes that her aunt got her. This interest in languages motivated her to pursue a B.A in English and later a master’s degree in teaching English as a Foreign Language. She taught at various school levels from elementary through high school and adult education. During her college years she volunteered at under served public schools in her area to help students learn English and developed curricula for adult students. Carolina started interpreting while at college for international trade fairs. Once in Austin she furthered her studies by focusing on community, medical and educational Interpreting and Translation at Austin Community College and was formally trained as a Social Justice Interpreter in 2016. Since that time Carolina has been working as a professional interpreter in Austin  for different organizations and non profits. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, biking and hiking with her husband and three children.

Interpreter and Translator

Julia Duranti-Martínez grew up in Seattle, WA and is currently pursuing dual Master’s degrees in Latin American Studies and Community and Regional Planning at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to moving to Austin, Julia worked in Colombia for over two years facilitating experiential education delegations, providing human rights accompaniment, and interpreting and translating as part of her work with Witness for Peace. She has also worked in family and emergency services for undocumented Latinx immigrants in Portland, OR, volunteered in Bolivia, and studied abroad in Chile. Julia received her B.A. in Anthropology and International Peace Studies from the University of Notre Dame, where she was involved with campus and community activism related to LGBTQ and immigrant rights. Having interpreted and translated as part of her nonprofit work, Julia joined the Austin Language Justice Collective in 2015 and is excited to be part of a group that brings an explicit social justice focus to interpretation practice. She was trained as a Social Justice Interpreter in 2016. In her free time, she enjoys running, cooking, biking, and dance in all forms.

Interpreter and Translator
alejandro@languagejustice.org

Alejandro Márquez is from both Chihuahua, Mexico and El Paso,TX. He holds  BS in International Politics from Georgetown University as well as a Masters in Latin American Studies and Global Policy Studies from UT-Austin. Currently, he is pursuing a PhD in Sociology at UT-Austin. He took part in a three-day training with the Roberto Tijerina, a national leader in spreading the language justice movement. Alejandro has several years of interpreting experience in Austin. Interpreting is important to him because he likes to contribute in making grassroots organizations stronger. He thinks interpreting is crucial in building coalitions and spreading the word about important issues in the community. For him, language access is not about understanding and being understood, it is about learning how to live and share with others. In his free time, he likes to read, watch movies and TV, and cook something that takes more than 30 min to prepare.

Interpreter and Translator
susana@pimien.to

Susana Pimiento is a Colombian attorney with a MA in Public Policy from the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague.  For over two decades, she has done research and advocacy work in the fields of human rights, demilitarization, environmental justice, arms control and indigenous peoples’ rights. Susana has interpreted at academic conferences for the University of Texas at Austin, at community forums for the Central Texas Democratic Party and for other groups in Austin, at City Council hearings, Town Hall and Austin Police Department meetings, as well as religious services at the Cathedral of Hope, in Dallas. Susana has ample experience as a translator. She has translated technical texts into Spanish, including certification exams for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, materials for the implementation of OSHA standards, papers on biotechnology and legal correspondence, among others.

Interpreter and Translator
patricia@languagejustice.org

Patricia Zavala is a native Austinite—proud to be born and raised in Austin. Despite the fact that her father is an immigrant from Peru, she did not grow up speaking Spanish at home, however, that did not stop her from acquiring native fluency. She relentlessly dedicated herself to learning the language of her Latin American relatives by traveling extensively and studying in Argentina, Bolivia, Spain, Mexico and Peru. She holds a B.A in Global Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara and is currently pursuing two mater’s degrees at the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Policy and the Lozano Long Institution of Latin American Studies. Patricia was trained as an interpreter in 2012, which transformed her understanding of interpreting as more than just providing a service to non-English speakers but as a way of defending civil rights. Passionate about language justice, Patricia helped to found the Austin Language Justice Collective and currently serves as the group’s Director of Organizing. In her free time, Patricia dances samba with the Austin Samba School, plays Brazilian music and hangs out with her lively 100 year old grandma.

Interpreter and Translator
josue@languagejustice.org

Josué Guillén grew up in New York City. He had the good fortune of having a Colombian mother who decided her kids were going to learn English anyway and taught them all Spanish first. He studied Spanish starting in Elementary School and all the way through College. When he started working for a community organization in Oakland, CA in 1991, a membership that had mostly monolingual speakers (English or Spanish) caused him to start interpreting, both consecutive and simultaneous. He has been interpreting and translating ever since. He was finally formally trained as a Social Justice Interpreter in 2012. He is also a social justice technologist, and currently works for the global organization Avaaz.org.

Interpreter and Translator
lynn@languagejustice.org

Lynn Wise is a native Texan and has been in Austin for more than 10 years. Lynn first became interested in language justice when she began boxing as a teenager. Many of the boxers were monolingual Spanish speakers, and as the boxing gym became her home, she became interested in their stories and struggles. The strong cultural, political and economic bonds connecting Texas and Mexico fascinated Lynn, but she was disturbed by the injustices that many of her immigrant friends faced. She became convinced that increased communication was key to addressing these injustices, and she wanted to help. The first hurdle was learning Spanish. Lynn began learning from her friends in the boxing gym and beyond and eventually earned an M.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. There she was introduced to the concept of language justice and was formally trained as a social justice interpreter in 2013. Lynn was a founding member of the Austin Language Justice Collective and currently works as co-director of the collective’s training team.

Interpreter and Translator
jenscott@languagejustice.org

Interpreter and Translator
diana@languagejustice.org

Diana is from Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico. When Diana first arrived to the U.S. she was monolingual Spanish speaker, along with most of her family. As an immigrant, she experienced first hand the need for language access in schools. Diana was formally trained as a Social Justice Interpreter in 2014, which increased her awareness of the importance of language access in her community to advance social justice. Diana is a first generation college student who obtained an associate’s degree in science from North Central Texas College and a bachelor’s degree in political science/legal studies from Texas Women’s University. Currently, Diana is working toward a master’s degree. On her free time, she loves to do outdoor activities such as hiking, running, bicycling. She also enjoys reading and watching basketball.