Sometimes these responsibilities seemed overwhelming and were not at all easy for a young girl to do. Other times they were easy tasks and helped me to feel like a significant member of the family. .
Many young people undergo similar experiences. In fact, this has become a problem for many people in the United States. Some children are forced to grow up at a young age and take on "adult- responsibilities. They put on the shoes of their parents and handle business that most young children at that age know nothing about. Most of these obligations have to do with translating incoming mail. Parents have a hard time understanding letters because of the formality and complexity that many businesses use. It is much easier for these parents to have their children read and then translate the material for them. Therefore words and phrases contained in the letters are not easily understood. Not only are letters translated or interpreted, but quite often, conversations are also interpreted. If a family member is sent to a hospital, and the rest of the family lacks English skills, than undoubtedly the English-speaking child will be expected to interpret between the family and the doctors. Many times parents have a difficult time understanding the pressure and stress that children suffer from doing this. Though looking at the exterior, the job seems simple; to a young child the job is an enormous responsibility. In fact, it has been clinically proven that this sort of situation can have a psychological impact on young children.1 "Consequently, some parts of the United States are trying to make it illegal for parents to put such a burden on young children.
For immigrant parents, it is much easier for them to ask their children the meanings of words rather than consult the dictionary. Why go through the trouble of typing broken English, when you have a child who speaks perfect English beside you? From a parent's perspective, having their children "help- them take on some of their responsibilities seems like a perfect solution to the problems they have with English.
