19-year-old refuses to be the English translator for her parents after her 22-year-old brother also learns English: 'I've been forced to do it since I was 11'

It's incredibly common for the children of immigrant parents to have to serve as translators for them, even when they're as young as 6 or 7. They have to explain their parents' medical problems to doctors, fill out confusing government paperwork, and order food at restaurants for the whole family. This service is not only expected of them, but also necessary for their family to function in a country that doesn't speak their native language. It's a lot of responsibility to put on a young kid, because one slip-up in the translation can lead to their parent getting worse healthcare or getting investigated by the IRS.

While some kids of immigrants take pride in being the middleman for their parents, a lot of them find it annoying. It's a tedious job, and if you're literally the only one in your family who can do it, it starts to wear on you.

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_{The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.}
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The young woman in this story used to be the only one in her family who spoke English, but not anymore. Her older brother has a better grasp of English than their parents. When she asked him to help her translate for their parents, he and their parents were hesitant to share the responsibility.
AITA for refusing to translate for my parents after my brother moved back in and took over my role in the house?

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via Faruk Tokluoğlu (Unsplash+)

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