As the Maya Mam people increasingly migrate to the United States for safety, economic opportunities, and a better quality of life, language access is one of the biggest obstacles they face. This is where Mam interpreters step in, helping migrants to integrate safely into their new surroundings.
For the Mam people, whose cultural and linguistic heritage has stood the test of time, interpreters play a major role in bridging the gap between their traditional ways of life and the challenges of modern migration.
This blog explores the Mam language, why the Mam people are migrating, and the support interpreters can provide them as they settle in the United States.
Who speaks Mam?
Mam is spoken by the Indigenous Mam community found in mainly Guatemala, some parts of Southern Mexico, and diasporic communities in the U.S. In Guatemala, it is the one of the most widely spoken Mayan languages After K'iche and Q’eqchi’. There are roughly somewhere over half a million Mam speakers, primarily in San Marcos, Huehuetenango, and Quetzaltenango as well as in parts of Chiapas, Mexico.
Like all Mayan languages, Mam descends from the ancient Proto-Maya. It is a part of the Mamean branch of the Eastern Mayan languages and is closely related to Ixil, Awakateko, and Tektiteko.
A very internally diverse language, Mam consists of 15 variants divided into 3 groups: northern, southern, and western. Each group of variants is so unique that speakers from different regions are usually unable to communicate with one another.
The Mam have lived in western Guatemala for about 2,600 years, where they often fought the K'iche' for control of their lands before the Spanish invasion. In 1524, Spanish forces crossed the southern Mam region as they made their way to invade Kaqchikel and K'iche' territory. By late 1525, the northern Mam territories had been conquered, but the southern Mam people remained free, possibly due to alliances formed with the Spaniards to help conquer the K'iche'. Because of its rough terrain, few Spanish colonists settled in the Mam region after the Conquest.
As with other Mayan cultures, the Mam are traditionally subsistence farmers, cultivating corn, beans, and squash long before the Spanish arrived. Today, in addition to those crops, many also cultivate cash crops like coffee, bananas, sugar, and cardamom to earn a living. Some migrate seasonally to lowland plantations during coffee and cotton harvests. Many Mam women still weave clothing on traditional backstrap looms using commercially manufactured thread or a traditional weaving technique known as “ikat,” which involves resist-dying threads before weaving to create intricate, colorful designs.
Why are the Mam migrating?
The exploitation that began in Spanish colonial times still impacts the Mam people through prejudice, racism, and marginalization. As they are excluded from mainstream Guatemalan society because of their indigeneity, they do not have equitable access to education, healthcare, and jobs.
One of the most common reasons for migration in the past decade has been the inability to find work that meets even the most basic needs. Seeing no future in Guatemala, many leave to support their families and find a better life elsewhere.
These communities face constant human rights violations and drug cartel violence, and women are often subjected to gendered violence. As a result of these unsafe conditions, and the lack of government support, they are left with no other option but to seek asylum in the United States.
The Mam people were greatly affected by the Guatemalan government’s genocidal campaign against Indigenous populations in Guatemala starting in the 60’s and going through 90’s.
As a means to escape brutal military repression and violent killings by Guatemalan soldiers, many Mam Indigenous people began to migrate, arriving en masse in Oakland in the 1980s.
The Mam were driven out of their land following this genocide led by military dictatorship of Guatemala. Because of these atrocities, numerous villages were destroyed and thousands of people were displaced, forcing many to flee for their lives. Though peace accords ended the war in 1996, violence from police, gangs, and paramilitary groups continues to this day.
Today, Oakland, California has one of the largest Mam communities in the United States. Large Mam communities can also be found in Arlington, Virginia; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Washington, D.C.
The Roles And Importance Of Mam Interpreters
Mam interpreters help migrants to express themselves and understand the information they are given, allowing them to better advocate for themselves and make more informed decisions.
Interpreters act as trusted guides for Mam migrants, guiding them through the complex U.S. immigration system, and helping them get access to medical, legal, and social services. In settings like doctor's appointments, immigration proceedings, and court hearings, qualified Mam interpreters are indispensable.
Besides providing language assistance, interpreters are also integral to intercultural communication. Having an interpreter who understands both American and Mam cultures can help make communication smoother and less stressful for both sides.
In response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Guatemala, more and more Mam speakers are fleeing their homeland. Yet, despite the high demand, finding a Mam interpreter in the U.S. is challenging. There are several reasons for this.
One reason why there is a shortage of Mam interpreters is that the demand for them was relatively low until recently. Another is that, as Mam’s variants are so different, even if an individual and the interpreter both speak Mam, there is a chance they may not understand one another if they are not from the same region.
While many Mam speakers live in the U.S., few are formally trained interpreters, and there is a limited amount of formal training programs for Mam interpreters. Many Mam speakers who can work as interpreters from Mam to Spanish don’t speak English, and typically language service providers don’t offer training to Spanish speaking interpreters. Moreover, becoming an interpreter can be a difficult process, and many lack the resources or financial stability to pursue it.
However, advances and progress have been made with the Mam language. Recently, the first ever cohort of Mam speakers graduated from the City College of San Francisco’s healthcare interpreter certificate program. Maya Bridge is thrilled to work alongside CCSF to expand upon the resources available for Mam speakers interested in becoming certified interpreters.
Work With A Mam Interpreter from Maya Bridge
At Maya Bridge, we offer language services for Mam and all its variants to provide your organization with comprehensive linguistic support. Since 2021, we have provided Mam to English interpretation to countless government agencies, healthcare organizations, and courts. As a small, niche interpretation agency specializing in Latin American Indigenous languages, we are uniquely equipped to offer on-demand Mam interpretation, 24 hours a day.
We offer:
Video Remote Mam Interpretation
Over-the-phone Mam Interpretation
In-person Mam Interpretation
Court-certified Mam Interpretation
Medical-certified Mam Interpretation
Mam Translation
Mam Voiceover and Subtitles
Learn more about our language services here.
Maya Bridge - A Leading Advocate For Latin American Indigenous Language Access In The U.S.
Since 2021, Maya Bridge Language Services has been advocating for increased access for speakers of Mayan and other Latin American and global Indigenous languages here in the United States. Maya Bridge is a mission-driven, niche interpretation agency offering 24/7 on-demand services for over 60 Indigenous languages from Latin America, as well as African, Asian, Pacific Island, Native American, and other Indigenous languages.
We have worked diligently to mobilize, train, and evaluate a network of hundreds of interpreters both in the U.S. and throughout the world to ensure that speakers of Indigenous languages can fully understand and be understood in important situations like healthcare, legal settings, in disaster and emergency response scenarios, and in receiving access to government programs.
Contact us to schedule a meeting or call us anytime, day or night, at (801) 753-8568.
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