Jul 27
Fighting for Immigrant Children Must Include Fighting for Equitable Language Access
By Laura Zelaya
According to a 2021 UNICEF report, 1 in 10 children around the world experience a disability that impacts their health and education. For many children, having a disability isn’t always physical. Over the past 10 years, I have worked directly with immigrant children who face communication and learning disorders, as well as sensory disabilities, and continue to lack the proper care and resources to fully support their unique needs.
Despite global standards outlining the level of protections every child should be afforded, children with disabilities who are navigating the complexities of the United States’ immigration system, and are sometimes doing so alone, often face a number of systemic barriers that impair their development and can significantly harm their overall emotional and mental health. Ableism, lack of appropriate accommodations in educational settings, limited (if any) placements designed specifically to care for children with disabilities who are separated from family and at risk of removal, and a disregard for their primary language or method of communication are just some of the hurdles children in government custody face. When children with disabilities are forced to navigate these barriers, the consequences can later shape their adulthood, putting them at increased risk for mental health disorders and unemployment.
Working as a social worker for immigrant children and their families, I have witnessed firsthand the inequities family members with disabilities face. Some may not know they have a disability, yet, in government custody, they are often times provided a diagnosis, either for themselves or their child, without any explanation of what that diagnosis means or the resources that are available to them and their child to better support their health and well-being. While in some cases resources for those with disabilities are provided, these resources are sometimes not provided in a family or child’s primary or preferred language, leading to confusion and an ever greater sense of isolation not only for children but also for their caregivers and loved ones.
Like all children, immigrant children with disabilities, deserve to feel included, seen and treated holistically, and supported by their communities. Over the years, most of the children and families I’ve supported are BIPOC immigrant families whose primary language is Spanish. Advocating for the rights of children with disabilities requires all of us to recognize that disability justice is a racial justice and immigrant justice issue.
Expanding language access is critical to ensuring children and their families — regardless of race, country of origin, or immigration status — have every opportunity to live healthy and safe lives where inclusive access to a range of information, resources, and a community built on support are not rarities but rather, are commonplace.
Some of the priorities we can advocate for to better ensure the language and communication needs of immigrant children and their families are met include:
- Urging for assessments of primary language to be common practice and ensuring all communication is facilitated in a child’s primary language. Many immigrant children in detention speak Mayan languages but find themselves having to communicate in Spanish, as it is incorrectly assumed that it is their primary language. This can result in miscommunication, stress, and erasure of their identities.
- Explaining the role of interpreters. For most immigrant children, using an interpreter is a new concept, and asking if they want an interpreter before explaining the role of an interpreter, might be confusing or feel like a complicated request.
- Advocating for accommodations. Children with sensory disabilities, such as vision or hearing loss, will require appropriate accommodations to communicate effectively. It is critical that these accommodations are common practice for all children who need them.
Advocating for the rights, safety, and well-being of immigrant children means paying particular attention to their language needs and ensuring language accessibility and inclusivity empowers them to express their wishes and feel seen and respected for all the identities that they hold.
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Laura Zelaya (she/her/ella) is a licensed master’s level social worker at the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights. She received her Master of Social Work from the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, where she completed a macro concentration with a focus in health and behavioral health. Laura has extensive experience working with community organizations providing services to people that have experienced trauma, such as survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, and child abuse. Before joining the Young Center, she provided support as a social worker to children with hearing loss and their families. She has also worked as a pediatric speech language pathologist assistant. Laura volunteers as a medical interpreter and mentor to first-generation college students. She is a U.S. born Salvadoran and in her free time enjoys reading and listening to Bad Bunny.
