Lost in Translation and Left Behind: Lived Experiences of Chinese Immigrants During the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires.
The January 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles County (LAC) caused widespread destruction and disproportionately affected linguistically diverse communities. Chinese immigrants, one of the largest immigrant groups in LAC, may have experienced heightened vulnerability due to limited English proficiency. To examine Chinese immigrants' experiences with emergency alerts and recovery during the 2025 wildfire, we conducted two focus groups in January 2026 with 16 Chinese participants who had been directly impacted by the wildfire. Discussions explored their trusted communication channels, fire alerts, evacuation experiences, recovery processes, mental health impacts, and suggestions. Participants relied on diverse information sources, including Google, social media, newspapers, TV/radio, and personal networks, to obtain updates during the wildfires. Delayed notifications, inconsistent geographic coverage, language barriers, and technical disruptions limited timely access to fire warnings. Evacuation guidance often lacked actionable details, and older adults faced heightened vulnerability due to mobility limitations, digital literacy barriers, and inadequate evacuation protocols in senior housing settings. Post-disaster recovery was complicated by bureaucratic complexity, adversarial insurance processes, environmental health concerns, and limited multilingual support. Persistent psychological distress was common, yet access to culturally appropriate mental health services was limited. Participants called for an integrated information system hosted by trusted community organizations. Disaster preparedness systems must extend beyond translation to develop culturally responsive, age-inclusive, and community-partnered approaches. Strengthening multilingual alert systems, senior-specific evacuation planning, centralized navigation support, and culturally integrated mental health services may improve preparedness and recovery for immigrant communities facing increasing climate-related disasters.