Language brokering profiles of Mexican-origin adolescents in immigrant communities: Social-cultural contributors and developmental outcomes.

ABSTRACT

This study examines social-cultural contributors and developmental outcomes of language brokers. From 2012 to 2020, three waves of data were collected from 604 Mexican-origin adolescent language brokers (Mage = 12.92, SD = 0.92, 54% girls). The study (1) identified four distinct subgroups of language brokers (efficacious, conservative, nonchalant, and burdened) who translated for mothers and fathers, after incorporating objective bilingual proficiency along with multiple dimensions of language brokering; (2) showed that early adolescents' Mexican, rather than U.S., cultural values and orientation were related to later language brokering profiles; and (3) showed that the efficacious group was the most resilient while burdened was the most vulnerable to developmental problems. Preservation of Mexican culture may facilitate language brokering experiences related to more positive developmental outcomes.