Abstract
This study examined the geographic origins of Mam Maya who sought interpretation services at La Clínica de la Raza’s Fruitvale Village Pediatrics department in Oakland, California. Between February 22 and September 6, 2024. The results showed that 95% of interpretation encounters involved respondents from three municipalities – Todos Santos Cuchumátan, San Juan Atitán, and Santiago Chimaltenango – located within the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes region of western Guatemala. This concentrated pattern suggests that the Fruitvale Mam community is largely rooted in a specific set of municipalities whose linguistic variants and cultural practices have important implications for interpreter training and healthcare resources. Guatemalan municipalities share history, kinship, obligations, and everyday relationships. These identities persist in the United States, influencing where migrants settle, whom they settle with, and how they reproduce cultural and linguistic practices.
Publication Date
8-5-2026
Keywords
Todos Santos Cuchumátan, Mam interpretation, immigration, language variants
DOI
10.62915/2688-9188.1212
