Language Brokering Among Iranian Women

Abstract

Children of immigrants are often called upon to interpret and translate language and cultural information for their parents and other adults in their lives in a process called language brokering. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, the experiences of five female Iranian Language brokers were explored to understand the meanings these women made of their lived experiences. The findings are discussed in terms of how language brokering impacted the individual’s life, the cultural shock they experienced, experiences of bullying, developing their identity, and their overall quality of life. The results of this study will provide insight for psychologists, psychiatrists, and researchers interested in gaining a better understanding of the lives of Iranian language brokers, and it could vastly help the growing number of therapists engaged in multicultural counseling to be more prepared to provide guidance for different generations of immigrants.