“Let me be a bridge”: language brokering among emerging adult Latina professionals in the Midwest

Abstract In immigrant families, bilingual children and adolescents regularly act as translators and interpreters for family and community members who are not fluent in the dominant language. These childhood language brokers later shift the focus of their translation activities as they transition into adulthood and develop professional skills. This research explores narratives of language brokering trajectories of three bilingual Latinas who were emerging adult professionals in three cities in Iowa. Based on a series of interviews collected over a 15 month period, this analysis examines how participants described realigning their family language responsibilities while simultaneously transferring their language brokering skills to professional settings in their nascent careers in education and social services. Findings indicate that not only do participants continue to engage in complex family language brokering and other kinds of care work, but they also deepen their empathy for and commitment to Spanish-speakers in professional settings.