Welcome Ceremony & Keynote: Language that Shapes the World—Living Between Two Languages

Language does more than communicate information—it shapes identity, relationships, belonging, and how we understand the world around us. For heritage signers and Deaf-parented interpreters, living between ASL and English is not simply a matter of bilingualism. It is an experience shaped by family, culture, community, access, responsibility, and the continual negotiation of multiple worlds.

Drawing from her experiences as a CODA, heritage ASL signer, nationally certified interpreter, Iranian American, child of immigrants, and President of the RID Board of Directors, Mona Mehrpour will explore how language and culture influence the ways we see ourselves, relate to others, and make professional decisions. She will examine the strengths and complexities of living between languages, including the impact of inherited cultural knowledge, community expectations, intersectional identity, and the movement between personal and professional roles.