(flamenco guitar plays)
- My name is Isabel Pinto.
I come from Columbia.
In South America, Columbia is in the...
Is the northern country in South America.
I work as an interpreter here
in the language services for VCU,
and Children's Hospital of Richmond.
(flamenco guitar plays)
Ah, my job is fascinating, you know.
There are so many things that I love about it.
First, I get to use my native language
to be...
A bridge between two people
that otherwise couldn't communicate clearly and efficiently.
Everyday is a new experience
because you never know what the day will bring.
It's opportunity to serve
and to learn.
We learn so much about everything,
not only medicine,
but human condition,
and about myself a lot.
It is a space where I have to be present.
I have to be totally present.
So, that is very, very, very unique.
When we are present, we escape from ourselves.
So, that is a plus.
Mm...
I have to make an impact in people's lives
in a positive way.
I get to bring my knowledge of the languages,
the cultures,
the system for the benefit of everyone involved.
But, I think the best part is at the end,
at bedtime my heart is so full of gratitude
for what I do.
It's a privilege to do what I do,
and I love it.
(flamenco guitar plays)
Imagine that you are hungry,
you have to eat,
and the food is in front of you,
but your hands are tied,
and you cannot eat.
So, it's the same.
You are in a strange place.
You are hurting.
You don't know what to do.
You feel lost.
So, then we have to be there.
Every person has the right to have a voice,
to be heard,
to explain their selves,
to understand what is going on with your head,
with your body,
with the situation.
We have so many complex cases and those cases usually
involve making really difficult decisions.
So, they have to know what is going on.
They have to have a clear understanding of the situation.
(flamenco guitar plays)
Last year, we saw...
From June...
From July of 2020
to June 30th, 2021,
we saw about 3,500 patients
that is like 69% of non-English speaking patients
that speak Spanish.
(flamenco guitar)
The place where I come from is a very unique place.
It's very beautiful.
We are the second richest country
in biodiversity in the world, after Brazil.
And, the first one by its size.
Columbia and all of the countries in Latin America
are like a melting pot for so many different cultures.
We have first indigenous and they are...
They created big empires,
very powerful people who have taught us so many things.
The connection with the world,
land,
with nature.
And, then the Spaniards came,
and they came to conquer our land,
and they came with their own diversity too.
So, they came with European, Asian...
And, then in the middle of the...
When the Spaniards came,
thousands of men and women from Africa came in as slaves,
and we met with them,
we blended with them too.
So, as a result we have are very unique,
kind of people and culture.
We have...
Music is in our culture.
It's a very, very big element of our culture.
So, we bring that.
We are happy people,
and anything can happen in South America.
(flamenco guitar plays)
Well, being from Latin American is a big deal.
It means so much, you know?
We are a very particular culture and we...
and although we are different,
each country has its own cultures and characteristics,
we share a common history.
We had to fight...
To regain our freedom,
our land,
and we did it together.
We do it together,
so we have that in our blood, in our DNA.
The brotherhood, the companionship.
So, we are brothers and sisters,
and we continue to help each other,
to grow each other.
So, we leave our families,
we leave our countries,
and not only people from Latin America,
but from all over the world,
in order to...
To grow together,
to understand that we are part of a big family.
That we live in the same home.
And, I think that is the only way
to overcome our difficulties,
our problems.
Just helping each other.
Embracing each other because we are just one...
One country, one family.
And, the earth is our home so helping each other.
We help others.
We heal.
We heal our planet too.
(flamenco guitar plays)