Being a “cultural broker” | Salome Mwangi | TEDxBoise

Language is a fundamental conduit for communication. Yet culture informs the way language is used, making word-for-word translation between two languages insufficient at best and disrupted or even offensive at worst. For translation and interpretation to accomplish the true goal of communication, cultural understanding must undergird the use of language. Kenyan-born American Salome resettled in Boise, Idaho in 2004 as a refugee, where she lives with her teenage daughter, Deborah. In the years they have called the Treasure Valley home, she has learned to embrace some hidden skills she had not previously acknowledged having. Through these and other life changing events, Salome emerged as a “cultural broker,” helping others—whether US-born or not—tease out some of the “hows” and “whys” of living life with multicultural relevance. Salome is currently the Social Integration Coordinator at the Idaho Office for Refugees, where she coordinates the refugee speakers’ bureau and the community social integration activities, collaborating with the city of Boise, and other community partners. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx