Parents are expected to handle conversation with a doctor, lawyer, or even a teacher. However, for many immigrants in the United States, language barriers make these situations stressful and difficult. Because many parents don’t speak English, their children take on the responsibility of translation at a young age.

Being born in the U.S. gives them the opportunity to learn a new language and become personal translators for their families. According to LanguageLine Solutions, an estimated 11 million children in the U.S. act as interpreters for their families due to the language barriers.

Immigrants who come to the U.S. generally don’t learn to speak English because of difficulties learning or not being exposed to the new language. This serves as a challenge for them because important documents are in English and almost never translated to Spanish unless asked. Which often means that their children have to translate sensitive topics, they might withhold the information to protect their parents, or they may inaccurately translate something, all of which can lead to problems for the parents and the family.

Senior Maria Martinez-Parra began translation for her mother at 9 years old. “At the time, I did not fully understand the responsibility that came with it,” she said. “However, as I grew older, I realized how significant my role had become within my family.” 

Martinez would frequently translate text messages and lease agreements. “My mother often receives important messages in English,” she said. “She finds it more comfortable and reliable to ask me for help rather than depend entirely on translation applications on her phone.”

Martinez likes to help her mother because it makes her feel useful. She mentioned that she gradually increased her skills through complex translations and taking 2 years of Spanish courses. “Taking two years of Spanish courses as electives helped me improve my vocabulary, grammar, and confidence in both languages,” she said.

She relies on Google Translate when she tries to translate unfamiliar words. “There are still moments when I rely on Google Translate,” she said. “Even so, I always try my best to ensure that my family fully understands the meaning of the information being communicated.” 

Her mom is not the only one she helps with translations. “I not only translate for my mother, but also for my grandmother, grandfather, and other relatives whenever they need assistance,” she said. “I frequently help translate lease agreements and other formal documents for my grandfather.” 

Senior Matthew Castro began translating important documents and medical records for his mom when he was in elementary school. “The earliest age where I remember translating for my mom in specific was when I was in 5th grade, so about 10 years old,” Castro said. “Even though I was born here in the U.S., my childhood was in Mexico and therefore my first language was Spanish.” Castro said that he feels happy to help his mother, so that she doesn’t feel confused or unclear on what she is reading. 

He mentioned that she knows about 70% of English, but some documents are harder for her to understand since they have complex words. As Spanish was his first language, he said that he never pursued a higher form of education for Spanish until he got to high school. “I knew the basics due to constant usage in my home, and I could easily identify words and structures and those structures stuck to me,” he said.

In high school, he took Spanish Heritage and AP Spanish Language which helped him grow his vocabulary. Similar to Martinez, Castro uses Google Translate to help his mother out. “I usually only use Google Translate when I don’t know how certain words are translated from English to Spanish,” he said. Castro continues to translate for his mother and other relatives. “I translate for my aunts and uncles whenever they need someone to do it and I am available to do so,” he said. “It can vary from text messages to important documentation, though it isn’t as common.”

Senior Catalina Campos-Guzman translated phone calls and doctor appointments when she was in 5th grade. “As their daughter, I help them at any point they need help since they don’t understand any English,” she said. 

Freshman year, Campos took Spanish Heritage and AP Spanish her sophomore year. “By translating to my mom,” she said. “I would also learn new words and my Spanish vocabulary would increase since I would learn through her or just by translating.” She mentioned that she uses Google Translate as well, but still finds it challenging to translate some words. She said that while translating for her parents, she finds it troublesome because she feels like there are some times where her parents may not understand what she is pronouncing. 

Besides her mother, she helps her father translate phone calls, medical, or insurance documents. “Even though I might encounter some struggle translating, we make it work because I’m their child and I help them at all times,” she said. “Especially since my parents don’t know English and their first language is Spanish.”

Though children help their families everyday, they should not have to carry the responsibility of translating sensitive information alone. Hospitals, court rooms, workplaces, and schools should support immigrant families by providing professional interpreters and translated documents so that parents don’t have to rely on their children. 

Community Liaison Rachel Torres said that there are two ways of seeing children being language brokers for their parents. One way is parents asking their children to do the interpreting for them. “It’s a way of survival, right?” Torres said. “It’s a way of survival and they have no other way to find out what’s going on.” 

Another way is that parents rely on their kids so much that they don’t force themselves to learn the language. “I think that parents need to be a little more aware,” Torres said. “But they also need to start learning a little bit more on what their responsibilities are as parents and to not always put pressure on their children.”

If you or a family member needs help with translating something, LanguageLine is a company where they have hundreds of bilingual interpreters who can help. They have in person, video calls, and even A.I powered translations. People can also use Google Translate.