Alaina Brandt

Colonialism as a concept is nothing new in world relations. However, advances in technology mean that colonialism is carried out in new, technologically-savvy ways in which the degrees of separation between the beneficiaries and the disadvantaged are such that the beneficiaries of these systems can remain oblivious to the violence carried out in the name of technological advancement. The translation and localization (T&L) industries center narratives about our field of practice upon the flowery benefits that result from our “accurate” and “unbiased” mediation of communication among peoples who speak different languages. Meanwhile, the dark underbelly of how T&L contribute to and maintain colonialism often goes unexplored and ignored. This talk explores the dichotomy between the status quo of T&L and what needs to change for T&L to be more powerfully leveraged for dismantling systemic racism and sexism. It will address how largely private interests achieve globalization through the use of technology, modern day slave labor, and the wider dissemination of Western values in the export of localized products. This talk will also envision how training and practice can shift toward creating greater market awareness and specialized services and products through which professionals can tame the machines, produce more responsible products, and work toward becoming the moral actors we claim to be.