For some groups of young people, translating between languages for their families isn’t unusual– it’s the norm. The US Bank finds that 11 million children in the United States translate for their immigrant families and serve as language brokers.
But the title of “translator” doesn’t entirely capture what they’re doing in many cases.
Young people in immigrant families may find themselves explaining how American institutions function, helping their parents navigate unfamiliar systems, and explaining social expectations or cultural norms that their parents didn’t grow up with.
Researchers refer to this process as cultural brokering, or the process of young people translating cultural norms and expectations for others, particularly within the context of immigrant families. A related and more extensively referenced practice is language brokering, which refers to the process of translating simply between languages.
In many immigrant families, the work of cultural brokering is simply built into the responsibilities a child has. Whether they were born in the US or simply adapted to the culture faster at a younger age, children may have a deeper understanding of an unfamiliar country compared to their parents and be expected to use that knowledge to help their family.
There are costs and benefits to having this role, a responsibility that many children find themselves stepping into unwillingly or unknowingly.
Imagine a teenager sitting beside a parent during a meeting at school. The parent may understand some English, but struggles with complex terminology or references to US education norms they didn’t have in their home country. The child does more than convert one sentence into another language. They also explain what a teacher means, describe what an unfamiliar expectation is, and establish cultural context surrounding why the conversation is important.
The importance of this interaction can make cultural brokering empowering.
A study conducted in the Child Development research journal examined child brokers who described their work as being “efficacious,” or producing the desired result of translating everyday situations for their parents. This group demonstrated the most resilient developmental outcomes.
In many cases like this, young cultural brokers may find their ability to help their family through complex cultural situations to be rewarding and fulfilling. Grappling with mature situations and interactions at younger ages builds resilience, confidence, and responsibility early on.
That being said, cultural brokering can also put young people in situations that adults may not always realize are difficult.
One study found that cultural brokering was related to child emotional distress and family disagreements. When children are exposed to complex or high stakes situations and tasked with translating those stakes to their families, it can be a deeply burdensome experience and lead to interfamilial conflict.
The positive and negative impacts of cultural brokering can also coexist. There is no one universal experience of cultural brokering for a young person, but understanding what situations produce what impacts can lead to better services, policies, and support for immigrant families.
The difference may come down to what is being translated. For example, helping a parent translate the items on a food menu is very different from explaining a complex medical diagnosis, decoding a high stakes legal document, or figuring out a complex government system like an immigration or housing task. For many young people, pressure stems from knowing the consequences of their cultural translation.
But in especially complicated cases, young child brokers might not even understand what is being said themselves before being relied on to translate to their families. Intricate tax documents or medical appointments filled with unfamiliar jargon are difficult for even a native language speaking adult to understand, but putting that burden onto a vulnerable young person can only amplify that struggle.
Recognizing the process of cultural brokering is an important first step. All too often, the role of cultural brokering is so integrated into a child’s familial responsibilities that it goes overlooked. But when the emotional burden of this translatory process is addressed, solutions begin to emerge.
First, professional interpretation is an important step forward. Many government agencies and institutions legally require interpreters to be present in certain situations, but barriers still exist. Less common languages may lack interpreters and services are not always readily available. In medical or legal conversations regarding sensitive personal information, families can be hesitant to use a third party translator.
Next, teaching young people about how to handle their role rather than pretending the responsibility doesn’t exist is an important way to mitigate consequences of cultural brokering. Systemically, children will likely continue brokering in informal situations even when professional services exist, meaning adults should acknowledge their responsibilities and help provide education on how to handle that role.
This is especially important for older children or teenagers who find themselves in this position. Not only is this age group more receptive to things like translation classes and training programs, but it also teaches them communication skills and how to handle complex situations in a structured way that will benefit them in their future and career.
Finally, programs should help parents understand when a responsibility may be too much for their child to handle. While relying on their own child as a cultural brokerer may seem like the most natural and convenient choice, many parents don’t realize when they’re subjecting their child to a situation that is too complex for them to deal with.
Cultural brokering interactions should reduce young people’s sense of burden while increasing their sense of efficacy to maximize benefits like confidence and resilience, while minimizing harms like emotional stress and conflict. When parents better understand what interactions best achieve this balance, it can improve family dynamics and place children in more informed cultural brokering situations.
Cultural brokering is unlikely to disappear, nor does it need to. For many families, young people will continue to help their families navigate unfamiliar systems, cultural norms, and languages. But recognizing the work that these young cultural brokers do in a way that enforces learning rather than burdening helps create positive change for the millions of young people translating everyday life for their families.
What often looks like the simple act of translation is, in reality, one of the many young ways young people help their families understand the world around them.
