SANTA MARIA, California -- Imagine being a 12-year-old boy and interpreting for your mother. The doctor says your mother has a prolapsed uterus and you need to explain it to her in her language. Difficult? Embarrassing? Impossible?
It's not unusual for kids of immigrant parents to interpret in doctors' offices or hospitals. Because it is a very difficult task, California is considering banning the use of kids as interpreters.
California would not be the first state to do so. In Rhode Island, interpreters must be 16 years old, although the rule does not apply to doctors' offices or clinics.