Studies and observations of immigrants with limited dominant language literacy reveal their use of various literacy strategies to communicate with and function in the dominant society. One of these is the interpreter strategy whereby immigrants rely on their children to serve as cultural, linguistic, and informational mediators. Sociologist Betty Lee Sung refers to this undertaking of adult responsibilities by immigrant children as the reversal of parent‐child roles. This paper examines the mediation activities and information needs of ICMs, and recommends strategies librarians can use to prepare ICMs to competently mediate for their family and friends. These strategies include teaching them how to find relevant sources of information, how to critically examine the sources of information available to them, and how to consider mediation as a life skill.
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Clara M. Chu (1999) studied this question.