Language

For Asian immigrants who now call the United States home, learning English is often more complex than simply acquiring a second set of linguistic skills. While knowing the language remains necessary for effective communication, finding jobs, and interacting with communities across the country, it does lead many immigrant families to a difficult cultural crossroad. As our storytellers reveal, some may strongly encourage their children to speak English, just like Americans. Others may feel that by switching to English they forfeit a profound connection to their roots, ultimately creating an identity crisis, out of which each individual must navigate oneself: Does the usefulness of English outweigh the loss of a heritage language? Can they have it both ways?

Pei Yang – “[My children asked] why do I have to learn Chinese? Other people don’t have to learn Chinese; why do I have to do that? Because it is quite hard to learn…. Then I said learning Chinese would give you an advantage… This is our secret code.”

Pei Yang Transcription

Everyone going through the so called adolescence, teenagers are always rebellious, relatively rebellious. Why do I have to learn Chinese? Other people don’t have to learn Chinese; why do I have to do that? Because it is quite hard to learn…. Then I said learning Chinese would give you an advantage; don’t you know? You… just think for a minute… When you did something wrong, do you want me to use English to scold you in front of your friends? Isn’t it better to use Chinese? They don’t know … what I scolded you for, whatever I said, this… this is our secret code. So there are advantages in speaking Chinese. Otherwise, you will lose face in front of your friends; you can’t stand that.

Naomi Munggai – “I know that there’s kind of resistance sometimes. It’s like…’I have to keep to my language. I’m not going to study your language because that will make me something else.’ It’s as if learning a… language will make you any less Asian, or whatever that is.”

Naomi Munggai Transcription

I think… I guess the first advice I have for anybody who comes into this country is to learn the language. You gotta be… willing… to learn… how to speak English. I mean how can you survive in this country and you don’t speak English? I know that there’s kind of resistance sometimes. It’s like ‘I have to keep, I have to, I have to keep to my language. I’m not going to study your language because that will make me something else.’ It’s as if learning a… the language will kind of make you any less Asian, or whatever that is, you know. And this is what I don’t understand. This is my question to a lot of my friends. Why is it that they can never learn to speak English properly? I don’t understand that. Some of them have been here since 1975. They’ve been here longer than I have. But their English is like: What? I didn’t even understand what you’re saying. How long have you been here? I am not belittling people. But my question is why is it that there’s some of us… even though we have been in this country for years they cannot speak proper English. And because of that… I think, probably… people will say, like, you never really wanted to be an American did you? You, you, you’re still holding onto your… identity. That you don’t, you don’t want to assimilate fully, or you’re, you’re holding onto it, and so you don’t want to learn to speak like us. I mean, I don’t know. That’s just me.

Hsiang-Lin Shih – “My worry would be more about my English expressions […]. Previously that was more about fear, but recently it’s more about a learning opportunity.”

Hsiang-Lin Shih Transcription

My worry would be more about my English expressions. When I first came here, I was surprised because I was a TA in Seattle as a graduate student. But I never, I should say, if never, that seldom was criticized by my students, that my English was that good. But when I first came here for the first two years, I received evaluations saying that my English… was not good. And so I was mainly worried about that. I didn’t take that as discrimination, but I was very uneasy about that. But after a while, at St. Olaf, one, my English probably improved over time. And second, I became very comfortable in that I dare to make mistakes, and then even interact with my students to negotiate how you say this and how you say that. And how my Chinese Thinking is different from yours. So I became like self assertive that I don’t need to worry about that. And that is, can be considered as a good opportunity for both cultures to learn from one another. So I think that’s also my change of mindset. Previously that was more about fear, but recently it’s more about a learning opportunity.

Toui Mohlke – “It’s good to be proud of your heritage, but…, you know, you also have to learn the language and do your best to succeed here.”

Toui Mohlke Transcription

It’s good to be proud of your heritage, but, but, you know, you also have to… learn the language and do your best to succeed here. One of my regrets is, is my loss of my, you know, native language. That’s a big regret for me, but at, at the time when we came here my parents really emphasized doing well in school and that meant, you know, learning English. I walked into kindergarten not knowing a word of English. I was not yet five years old, but they… they did some tests on me and I knew French, so they figured that was good enough, I guess. So, kindergarten was a blur to me, but you know, ever- I mean my parents always said just keep speaking English. You’re… going to be successful in that way. And… and when we came to Minnesota there wasn’t a, a very big Asian population. So, all my friends were American and so I spoke English all the time. So, I, that’s one of my regrets is, is not keeping my language skills.

Jane Murakami – “Learning English is vital. … And I don’t say that to take away their native language. But … Americans don’t seem to be very tolerant if you can’t communicate.”

Jane Murakami Transcription

Learning English is vital. Um… that… and I don’t say that to take away their native language. But… Americans don’t seem to be very tolerant if, if you can’t communicate. I… Fargo/Moorhead is where I, I moved down here from. And they have a large… new American population. That they… have quite a few refugees that they, that Lutheran Social Services brought in. And that’s the one… barrier that I think… they struggle with. A friend of mine is a teacher in… an elementary school and said there were 27 different languages. And to try to, to try to get the kids assimilated and… you know and then to have young children serving as interpreters for medical or legal or…, I think would be very, very difficult.