Linguicism in Caregiving: Insights From Japanese Care Workers in Aotearoa New Zealand

Language communication in caregiving between care recipients and care workers is essential for the well-being and overall care experiences of both parties. However, challenges arise in language communication when care workers and/or recipients are linguistic minorities. With the increasing reliance on migrant workforces in the care industry globally, language communication challenges require careful attention. Research indicates that migrant care workers, many of whom are linguistic minorities, often report lower job satisfaction due to high job demands, limited social support, stress related to acculturation, and discrimination both within work and outside of their care roles. However, current studies on aging, health, and migration often overlook the exploration of language communication experiences in caregiving from the perspective of care workers. Unlike conventional research that frames language communication challenges merely as "language barriers," our study critically examines the experiences of Japanese care workers' experiences, through the lens of linguicism, language ideologies, and Bourdieu's symbolic violence theory. Drawing insights from in-depth interviews (n = 10), our analysis reveals various forms of linguicism faced by the study participants. Some participants experienced discrimination due to their accents and overall language proficiency, both from care recipients and co-workers. Interpersonal linguicism is evident, but many participants also internalized language oppression.