Cultural and social processes of language brokering among Arab, Asian, and Latin immigrants

Abstract

This study examines how language and culture brokering (translating and interpreting language and culture for others) influences the acculturative experiences and self-perceptions of young adults from immigrant Arab, Asian, and Latino American backgrounds. Semi-structured interviews with 10 participants suggest that mediating information for members of different cultural and linguistic groups strengthens awareness of linguistic, cultural, and social processes. This cultivated awareness, in turn, is leveraged for social and cultural processes as identity formation and transcultural competencies. Experiences both prior to immigration and in the new immigrant context also differently shape the experiences of brokers from different ethnic groups.