“It's One of Those Things That You Do to Help the Family”

TLDR

The study investigates how language brokering influences immigrant adolescent development. The authors analyzed 12 Latino/a immigrant children’s evolving perspectives over five years using interdependent/independent developmental script theory. Translating is a relational, interdependent activity that supports family and extends adolescents’ helping orientation into public spaces, illustrating their negotiation of independent and interdependent developmental scripts.

Abstract

This article examines how immigrant adolescent development is shaped by the cultural and linguistic practice of language brokering. Framed by theories on interdependent/independent developmental scripts, the changing experiences and views of 12 Latino/a children of U.S. immigrants over 5 years were analyzed. It was found that translating is a relational, interdependent activity in which adolescents both help and receive help from family members. As adolescents, they extend this helping orientation beyond their household, but in these public spaces, they sometimes meet up with other developmental scripts. This article's examination of brokering's effects on immigrant adolescence leads to the discussion that one must consider the manner in which all adolescents and parents are negotiating independent and interdependent worlds.