Translating Childhoods: Immigrant Youth, Language, and Culture (Series in Childhood Studies) (Rutgers Series in Childhood Studies)

Translating Childhoods, a unique contribution to the study of immigrant youth, explores the ""work"" children perform as language and culture brokers. Children shoulder basic and more complicated verbal exchanges for non-English speaking adults. Readers hear, through children's own words, what it means be the ""keys to communication"" that adults otherwise would lack. From ethnographic data and research, Marjorie Faulstich Orellana's study expands the definition of child labor by assessing children's roles as translators and considers how sociocultural learning and development is shaped as a result. A Study Of Immigrant Youth That Brings Children To The Forefront By Exploring The “work” They Perform As Language And Culture Brokers, And The Impact Of This Largely Unseen Contribution. Skilled In Two Vernaculars, Children Shoulder Basic And More Complicated Verbal Exchanges For Non-english Speaking Adults. Readers Hear, Through Children’s Own Words, What It Means Be “in The Middle” Or The “keys To Communication” That Adults Otherwise Would Lack. Drawing From Ethnographic Data And Research In Three Immigrant Communities, Orellana’s Study Expands The Definition Of Child Labor By Assessing Children’s Roles As Translators As Part Of A Cost Equation In An Era Of Global Restructuring And Considers How Sociocultural Learning And Development Is Shaped As A Result Of Children’s Contributions As Translators. From Publisher Description. Translating Frames -- Landscapes Of Childhood -- Home Work -- Public Para-phrasing -- Transculturations -- Transformations -- Translating Childhoods. Marjorie Faulstich Orellana. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 147-176) And Index. Though the dynamics of immigrant family life has gained attention from scholars, little is known about the younger generation, often considered "invisible." Translating Childhoods , a unique contribution to the study of immigrant youth, brings children to the forefront by exploring the "work" they perform as language and culture brokers, and the impact of this largely unseen contribution. Skilled in two vernaculars, children shoulder basic and more complicated verbal exchanges for non-English speaking adults. Readers hear, through children's own words, what it means be "in the middle" or the "keys to communication" that adults otherwise would lack. Drawing from ethnographic data and research in three immigrant communities, Marjorie Faulstich Orellana's study expands the definition of child labor by assessing children's roles as translators as part of a cost equation in an era of global restructuring and considers how sociocultural learning and development is shaped as a result of children's contributions as translators.