Language justice as an antiracism institutional transformation: Institutional facilitators and barriers for community-engaged cardiometabolic health promotion research

Alana M.W. LeBrón; Yelba M. Castellon-Lopez; Melody Gonzalez; Julia Mangione; Pamela Pimentel; Aziza Lucas-Wright; Mary Anne Foo; Audrey Kawaiopua Alo; Krystal Lloyd; Dara H. Sorkin; Bernadette Boden-Albala; Keith Norris; Arleen Brown; Sora Park Tanjasiri; Mona AuYoung

doi:10.1017/cts.2025.30

Journal of Clinical and Translational Science (Jan 2025)

Language justice as an antiracism institutional transformation: Institutional facilitators and barriers for community-engaged cardiometabolic health promotion research

Alana M.W. LeBrón,
Yelba M. Castellon-Lopez,
Melody Gonzalez,
Julia Mangione,
Pamela Pimentel,
Aziza Lucas-Wright,
Mary Anne Foo,
Audrey Kawaiopua Alo,
Krystal Lloyd,
Dara H. Sorkin,
Bernadette Boden-Albala,
Keith Norris,
Arleen Brown,
Sora Park Tanjasiri,
Mona AuYoung

Affiliations

Alana M.W. LeBrón: ORCiD; Department of Health, Society, and Behavior, Wen School of Population & Public Health, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA Department of Chicano/Latino Studies, School of Social Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
Yelba M. Castellon-Lopez: Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Melody Gonzalez: Guani Tenoli Interpreting/Translation, Long Beach, CA, USA
Julia Mangione: ORCiD; Department of Health, Society, and Behavior, Wen School of Population & Public Health, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
Pamela Pimentel: Community Member At-Large, Santa Ana, CA, USA
Aziza Lucas-Wright: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA South Central Prevention Coalition, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Mary Anne Foo: Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance, Garden Grove, CA, USA
Audrey Kawaiopua Alo: Southern California Pacific Islander Community Response Team, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Krystal Lloyd: UCLA-UCI Center for Eliminating Cardiometabolic Disparities in Multi-Ethnic Populations, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Dara H. Sorkin: Department of Medicine and Institute for Clinical and Translational Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
Bernadette Boden-Albala: Department of Health, Society, and Behavior, Wen School of Population & Public Health, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
Keith Norris: ORCiD; Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Arleen Brown: ORCiD; Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Sora Park Tanjasiri: Department of Health, Society, and Behavior, Wen School of Population & Public Health, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
Mona AuYoung: Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/cts.2025.30
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 9

Abstract

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This article describes lessons learned from the incorporation of language justice as an antiracism praxis for an academic Center addressing cardiometabolic inequities. Drawing from a thematic analysis of notes and discussions from the Center’s community engagement core, we present lessons learned from three examples of language justice: inclusion of bilingual team members, community mini-grants, and centering community in community-academic meetings. Facilitating strategies included preparing and reviewing materials in advance for interpretation/translation, live simultaneous interpretation for bilingual spaces, and in-language documents. Barriers included: time commitment and expenses, slow organizational shifts to collectively practice language justice, and institutional-level administrative hurdles beyond the community engagement core’s influence. Strengthening language justice means integrating language justice institutionally and into all research processes; dedicating time and processes to learn about and practice language justice; equitably funding language justice within research budgets; equitably engaging bilingual, bicultural staff and language justice practitioners; and creating processes for language justice in written and oral research and collaborative activities. Language justice is not optional and necessitates buy-in, leadership, and support of community engagement cores, Center leadership, university administrators, and funders. We discuss implications for systems and policy change to advance language justice in research to promote health equity.

Published in Journal of Clinical and Translational Science

ISSN: 2059-8661 (Online)
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine
Website: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-clinical-and-translational-science

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