Espiritu Coffee Chats

Language has always been more than words. It carries emotion, culture, context, and sometimes the difference between being truly heard and being left behind. In this episode, Arlene and Valerie sit down with Laura Valdez, founder of Valdez Language Services and a Latina entrepreneur with 16 years of experience in translation and interpretation services. What unfolds is a conversation about so much more than business — it's about what it means to grow up as the bridge between two worlds, what gets missed when AI steps in, and why language access is a human rights issue. Laura grew up in New York City as the child of Colombian and Pakistani immigrants, navigating between languages at the kitchen table long before she ever became a professional interpreter. That early experience of being the family's bridge, of watching her mom lose a court case because she lacked an interpreter, of helping her stepdad navigate a country that wasn't built for him — all of it planted a seed that became Valdez Language Services. Today, her agency provides professional interpretation services in over 20 languages across Southern California and beyond, supporting conferences, nonprofits, legal proceedings, healthcare settings, and more. Arlene shares her own real moment of language helplessness — trying to handle a call from Mexico about her dual citizenship with nothing but an iPhone translator — and the conversation opens into something deeper about second-generation Latina identity, the grief of losing a language that was never fully passed down, and the quiet longing to reclaim it. If you've ever navigated that in-between space of cultural identity and language, this one is going to resonate. The three also get into the AI question honestly — because yes, AI translation tools exist, and yes, they're getting more advanced. But as Laura explains, the nuance, the cultural context, the emotional intelligence that a skilled human interpreter brings to a delicate legal or medical moment? That's something a machine simply cannot replicate. There are 10 different ways to say "straw" in Spanish. An algorithm doesn't know which one you mean. And because this show always makes room for joy — Laura shares the project she's currently building: a Learn Spanish with Bad Bunny course that teaches language through music in a group immersive setting. Yes, it's rated R. Yes, Arlene is already signed up. What this episode explores: The difference between translation services and interpretation services, and when organizations need each Growing up as a child language interpreter in an immigrant family Why AI cannot replace human linguists, especially in legal and medical settings Language access as an act of belonging, advocacy, and community care How organizations can move from performative diversity to real inclusion through multilingual services Learning Spanish through music (and why Bad Bunny might be the best teacher) The second-generation experience of cultural identity and language loss Connect with Laura Valdez: Website: https://vlanguageservices.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valdes_language_services/ LinkedIn: Laura Valdez (V-A-L-D-E-S) If this episode spoke to you, share it with someone who needs to hear it — and leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps the show grow and get into the hands of people who are ready for this kind of conversation. 📢 Join the conversation! Share your thoughts on Instagram @espiritucoffeechats and let us know how you feel about the future of trade policies. 🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform! Subscribe, rate, review, and share this episode with someone you love! How to connect with us: Social media Arlene Salcedo: https://www.instagram.com/lunasoulwellness/ Valerie Urrutia: https://www.instagram.com/surjecoffee/ Websites: https://surjecoffee.com/ https://www.lunasoulwellness.com/ https://surjecoffee.com/pages/coffee-subscriptions https://www.lunasoulwellness.com/apothecary Email: Arlene: [email protected] Valerie: [email protected] Podcast: [email protected]