For kids of Latino immigrants in Kansas City, being the family interpreter is an honor and burden...

Across the U.S., thousands of children and young adults serve as informal interpreters for family members that don’t speak English. Many of them find pride in being of service to their families, but experts worry that this pride may be masking more serious long-term effects.
Unexpected trips out of school, late night wake-up calls and high expectations. That’s what 18-year-old Shawnee Mission North senior Ashlee Zoe Cruz Ayala said was commonplace during the six years she served as her family’s primary interpreter.

“It would just suck at first. I did not like doing it, especially because they would make me talk to adults,” said Cruz Ayala. “I (was) literally 12 years old. I barely knew what they're saying.”

David Gabaldon, now a 24-year-old admissions recruiter at Johnson County Community College, spent four years juggling school, work and interpreting for his grandparents, all while navigating higher education as a first generation college student.

“It was like, ‘Hey David, you're off from school,’ or, ‘You're not working. Can you take your grandfather to his (doctor’s) appointment?’” said Gabaldon.