Risks and protective factors for young immigrant language brokers who experience discrimination

As language brokers, immigrant youths assist their parents and other adults in navigating mainstream American society by translating documents, interpreting for their parents during appointments, and speaking and advocating on their behalf (Kam & Lazarevic, 2014). These language brokering activities occur in public spaces, such as educational or government institutions, where families can experience discrimination for speaking a language other than English (Guan et al., 2015). Recent research indicates that positive feelings (e.g., feeling efficacious) and negative feelings (e.g., feeling burdened) while language brokering affect health and well-being (Weisskirch, 2013). The detrimental effects of discrimination are well-established (Salas-Wright et al., 2019), but the link between language brokering and discrimination and potential protective factors (i.e., ethnic–racial identity and family dynamics) are ripe for exploration.

In an article published in Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology,opens in new window researchers led by Vanja Lazarevic collected data from 458 young people between the ages of 18 and 25 years from across three universities in California. The majority of participants (86%) were first-generation immigrants whose parents were both born outside of the United States. The researchers found that over 90% of the participants experienced discrimination in their daily lives and that discrimination was associated with subjective feelings related to language brokering. For example, youths reported that their experiences of discrimination were associated with their lowered feelings of efficacy while language brokering. Experiences of discrimination were also associated with increased feelings of burden while language brokering.

Key findings also affirm the importance of ethnic–racial identity as a buffer against feelings of role reversal for young language brokers who experienced discrimination. In addition, positive family dynamics could not buffer the negative effects of discrimination, and negative family dynamics worsened the negative effects of discrimination on language brokering attitudes.

These results highlight (a) the detrimental effects of discrimination on youth development, (b) the presence of multiple negative factors that can pose a cumulative risk for immigrant youths, (c) the need to identify protective factors that can buffer against societal stressors, and (d) how discrimination infiltrates everyday tasks (e.g., language brokering) for immigrants. It is important to note that the participants in this study were surveyed in 2018, before the pandemic and during a time when the societal attitude toward immigrants, people of color, and non-English speakers had been particularly negative. Therefore, it is critical to continue to explore the changing needs, resources, and strengths of immigrant youths and their families. Researchers should particularly focus on identifying protective factors that can help in building resilience and addressing structural issues to promote and enhance the positive development of immigrant youths.

This article is in the Clinical Psychology topic area.

Guan, S.-S. A., Nash, A., & Orellana, M. F. (2015). Cultural and social processes of language brokering among Arab, Asian, and Latin immigrants. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 37(2), 150–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2015.1044997opens in new window

Kam, J. A., & Lazarevic, V. (2014). Communicating for one’s family: An interdisciplinary review of language and cultural brokering in immigrant families. Annals of the International Communication Association, 38(1),3–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/23808985.2014.11679157opens in new window

Lazarevic, V., Guan, S.-S. A., & Weisskirch, R. S. (2024). Experiences of discrimination and language brokering: Exploring risks and protective factors.Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 30(1), 130–142. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000532opens in new window

Salas-Wright, C. P., Vaughn, M. G., Goings, T. C., Oh, S., Delva, J., Cohen, M., & Schwartz, S. J. (2019). Trends and mental health correlates of discrimination among Latin American and Asian immigrants in the United States. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 55(4), 477–486. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-019-01811-wopens in new window

Weisskirch, R. S. (2013). Family relationships, self-esteem, and self-efficacy among language brokering Mexican American emerging adults. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 22(8), 1147–1145. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-012-9678-xopens in new window

Vanja Lazarevic, PhD, is an associate professor of child and family development at San Diego State University. She conducts research that delves into the intersection of mental health, health disparities, youth development, and family dynamics within the context of immigration. Through her work, she aims to promote the well-being of immigrant youths and to identify protective factors that can mitigate the impact of societal stressors on these youths and their families.

Shu-Sha Angie Guan, PhD, is an associate professor of child and adolescent development at California State University, Northridge. Her work focuses on how social and cultural factors shape academic, psychological, and physical health among adolescents and young adults from ethnic minority and immigrant populations. Because of her childhood experiences as a language broker, she is deeply committed to advancing the understanding of immigrant family adjustment.

Robert S. Weisskirch, MSW, PhD, is a professor of human development and chair of the Human Development and Family Science Department at California State University, Monterey Bay. His research interests focus on language brokering, ethnic identity and acculturation, developmental perspectives on romantic relationships, how technology affects relationships (i.e., parent–adolescent relationships, sexting, and romantic relationships), and pedagogy of adolescent development.