NAJIT History.pdf

NAJIT was born as CITA in 1978, initiated by interpreters in New York who were concerned about the state of affairs for language minorities in US courts and interpreters' working conditions. The organization's idea came from Dena Kohn and María Elena Cárdenas, with its Certificate of Incorporation filed in 1979. The first meeting was held in Dena's apartment, and the first officers included María Elena Cárdenas as President. CITA published its first membership directory in 1981, organized its first symposium on court interpreting ethics and practice, and created a committee to study common issues for interpreters. The organization's strategy was to bring stakeholders together to learn from each other, enhancing the professional standing of interpreters and respect for their work. CITA also focused on training and education, with María Elena realizing the need for more interpreters to cover court needs. The organization published important monographs, including "The Judicial Community Looks at Court Interpreting" and "Language Barriers in the Criminal Justice System," which contributed to the development of the field.