Mexico’s First Interpreters: From Jerónimo de Aguilar to Mexican Sign Language

Simultaneous, Consecutive and Remote Interpreters and Translators

Sergio M. Alarcon

COO @ Language Global Solutions | Language Degree

The history of interpretation in Mexico dates back to the very first encounters between two worlds. Long before the profession existed as we know it today, there were already voices bridging cultures, facilitating negotiations—and at times, betrayals—and building communication between civilizations that shared neither language nor worldview, but shared land and, eventually, destiny.

One of the earliest interpreters on record was Jerónimo de Aguilar, a Spanish castaway who, after spending years among the Mayans, had become proficient in their language and customs. When Hernán Cortés arrived on the shores of Yucatán, Aguilar became a strategic asset: he interpreted from Maya to Spanish for the conquistadors. But Aguilar alone wasn’t enough.

That’s when Malintzin, also known as La Malinche, entered the scene. She spoke both Nahuatl and Maya, and would soon learn Spanish. For a time, communication flowed through a relay system: Malintzin interpreted from Nahuatl to Mayan, and Aguilar from Mayan to Spanish. In this way, a young Indigenous woman and a Spanish friar-turned-survivor became the first linguistic mediators of colonial Mexico.

Eventually, Malintzin learned Spanish and became the direct voice between Cortés and the Nahua peoples. More than an interpreter, she was a strategist, a diplomat, a witness, and a key actor in one of the most profound cultural shifts in Mexican history. She later married a Spaniard, sealing not just a political alliance, but symbolizing the linguistic and cultural mestizaje that would define us.

Since then, interpretation in Mexico has followed a complex path. During colonial times, linguistic mediation with Indigenous communities continued through clerical and judicial interpreters, often shaped by the biases of colonial rule. Still, thanks to these early linguistic bridges, several Indigenous languages survived cultural erasure.

Today, five centuries later, interpretation in Mexico is a respected, ethical, and essential profession. No longer limited to battlefields or courtrooms, it now connects heads of state, doctors and patients, scientists, diplomats, athletes, artists, and Indigenous leaders. In international conferences, hospitals, courtrooms, Indigenous forums, classrooms, and cultural events, interpreting represents voice, presence, and respect.

As founder of the Mexican Association of Conference Interpreters (Colegio Mexicano de Intérpretes de Conferencias, A.C.), I am proud of how far we’ve come. Today, we bring together professionals who interpret among foreign languages, Spanish, Indigenous languages, and Mexican Sign Language. This diversity reflects a plural Mexico, one that is in constant dialogue with itself and with the world.

The history of Mexican interpretation began with shipwrecks, conquest, and enslaved voices—and today continues in booths, on stages, in Indigenous assemblies, and on digital screens. We’ve come a long way. And we continue to interpret—not just words, but intentions, emotions, and cultures—so that understanding may always remain possible

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Sergio is the founding president of...