Stress of Language Brokering and Mexican American Adolescents’ Adjustment: The Role of Cumulative Risk

Abstract

This study focused on early adolescents’ stress of language brokering and examined the moderating role of family cumulative risk in the relation of language brokering to adjustment problems. Data came from self-reports of 604 low-income Mexican American adolescent language brokers (54% female; [Formula: see text]= 12.4; SD = 0.97; 75% born in the United States) and their parents (99% foreign-born) in central Texas. Path analyses revealed that brokering stress, but not frequency, was positively associated with adolescents’ adjustment problems, including depressive symptoms, anxiety, and delinquency. We also found that the relation between stress of brokering for mothers and adolescents’ depressive symptoms was stronger among families with a high cumulative risk. Further, with a high cumulative risk, adolescents exhibited delinquent behaviors regardless of the levels of stress from translating for fathers. Current findings underscore the importance of examining family contexts in assessing the consequences of language brokering for Mexican American early adolescents’ well-being.

Understanding family functioning in mothers and daughters with obesity

“…In fact, informal care for parents is most often done by daughters at a younger age compared to non Latinos (Evercare and National Alliance for Caregiving, 2008 ). Although Mexican American females report a greater sense of caregiving obligation, they also experience greater stress for language brokering for their mothers (Shen et al, 2020 ; Weisskirch, 2013 ). Tension may arise when daughters feel overburdened with brokering high-stakes content such as health-related matters and/or mothers perceive reduced parental authority (Anguiano, 2018 ; Roche et al, 2015 ).…”

Mexican‐origin youths’ language brokering for fathers and mothers: Daily experiences and youths’ diurnal cortisol slopes

“…Language brokering stress is linked to multiple indicators of well-being (Kam, 2011;Kam & Lazarevic, 2014;Kim, Hou, et al, 2018;Morales & Hanson, 2005;Shen et al, 2019). For instance, Mexican-origin adolescents reported more depressive symptoms, higher anxiety, and more delinquent behaviors when experiencing higher language brokering stress while translating for fathers and mothers (Shen et al, 2019).…”

“…The measurement of daily language brokering stress was modified from the yearly assessment of language brokering stress (Shen et al, 2019). Adolescents reported whether they had engaged in any of eight translating activities for their father and/or mother across 4 days (see details of items in Table 1).…”

“…The second line of research utilizes quantitative methods to investigate the influence of language brokering on children's development, particularly their physical and mental health (e.g., Guan et al, 2020; Kam, 2011; Kim et al, 2017). Considering the prevalence and potential detrimental effects of language brokering, this line of research has focused on the consequences of language brokering stress (Kam & Lazarevic, 2014; Shen et al, 2019). Given the difficulty of assessing daily language brokering stress in different situations, the bulk of this research assesses only general language brokering stress.…”

“…Language brokering stress is linked to multiple indicators of well‐being (Kam, 2011; Kam & Lazarevic, 2014; Kim, Hou, et al, 2018; Morales & Hanson, 2005; Shen et al, 2019). For instance, Mexican‐origin adolescents reported more depressive symptoms, higher anxiety, and more delinquent behaviors when experiencing higher language brokering stress while translating for fathers and mothers (Shen et al, 2019). Also, among Mexican‐origin adolescents, negative language brokering feelings have been found to relate to a higher probability of consuming alcohol and engaging in risky behaviors (Kam, 2011).…”