How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"I don't call my staff interpreters," she told me. "I call them cultural brokers. They teach me." (8.6)
This lady gets it. She knows that the language gap is only the first hurdle, and making it over the cultural gap is an even bigger leap. This idea shapes her entire strategy in relating to the Hmong.
Quote #8
In other words, the Lees believed their daughter was transferred not because of her critical condition but because of Neil's vacation plans. (11.14)
Uh oh. Once again, a miscommunication between Neil and the Lees has serious consequences. Instead of thanking Neil for his hard work—work that's taking a huge emotional toll on him—Nao Kao and Foua convince themselves that Neil is only looking out for himself. If it were a Eurotrip, sure, but once again, that's what these folks just don't get.
Quote #9
"There was usually no interpreter," Jeanine Hilt was recalled, "but you know Foua and I communicated more through the soul anyway." (13.18)
This is a breath of fresh air, if a little hippie-dippy. Jeanine Hilt bypasses language, culture, and ethnicity altogether, bonding with Foua as one individual with another. If only it were this easy for everyone. Ultimately, Jeannine shows us that real communication isn't about cultural sensitivity or political correctness—it's about having an open heart.