Experiences of Discrimination and Language Brokering: Exploring Risks and Protective Factors

Objectives: Language brokering (LB) often occurs in public places, putting youth who broker at risk for experiencing discrimination while engaging in brokering. Guided by the risk and resilience theoretical framework, the present study goals were twofold: (a) to examine the association between discrimination and LB, and (b) to explore moderating abilities of ethnic identity and family dynamics. Method: Data were collected from 458 young adults (M (age) = 21.36, 80% female). Participants were from a diverse region in the United States, and a majority of them self-identified as Latino (66.2%). Participants were invited to complete a one-time online survey about their LB and family experiences. Results: We found that discrimination was negatively associated with LB for these young people. Specifically, discrimination was related to higher LB burden and higher LB role reversal, and lower LB efficacy. In addition, we found that ethnic-racial identity (ERI) acted as a moderator of LB role reversal against discrimination, and that negative family dynamics moderated the association between discrimination and LB. Positive family dynamics were not successful in buffering against negative effects of discrimination. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that young people who broker seem to be negatively impacted by discrimination. The effects of discrimination on LB role reversal could be alleviated by strong ERI; however, the same is not true for LB burden and LB efficacy. Furthermore, negative family dynamics exacerbated the negative effects of discrimination on LB, and positive family dynamics did not serve as a buffer against discrimination. Implications for those working with language brokers are discussed. Public Significance Statement Young people who language broker for their parents may experience discrimination. While some factors, such as a strong ethnic-racial identity, can protect against negative effects of discrimination, being involved in family conflict can make the negative effects of discrimination even worse.