The following letter was submitted in response to a Reporter article of last week titled “New Bostonians seek to preserve native tongues.”
To the Editor:
When we were kids, my parents enrolled me and my siblings in the weekend language classes at VietAID. We were all embarrassed by not knowing how to read or write Vietnamese, even though most other students were pretty much at the same level. After we all decided to drop the course, the next time I was able to learn in a supportive setting was years later, with other first-generation students in college, an opportunity for which I remain immensely grateful.
Today, I appreciate all our community members working to preserve our languages—and our identities. Living in Boston and in a neighborhood like Dorchester, we are so fortunate to come across others with diverse cultures, yet ultimately similar dreams: to advance and provide a better life for future generations while staying true to ourselves. Communication, whether spoken or written, heard or read, is core to who we are.
At VietAID’s Âu Cơ Preschool, we are overjoyed to welcome our youngest students of all backgrounds into the first and only Vietnamese bilingual, bicultural preschool program in Massachusetts. We recognize that language is crucial to passing on our culture and heritage, but that it can be especially hard for non-native speakers to emphasize their native tongue when the recurring thought tends to be that you must learn English to succeed in America.
Oftentimes that expectation to assimilate falls doubly on their children, as bilingualism seems more at odds with, rather than complementary to, that journey. For many jobseekers, having an accent is a deterrent, even though speaking multiple languages is an asset that should be applauded.
While I’m not perfectly fluent in Vietnamese, what I have helps me connect with my mom, family members, and other folks in our community through conversation, text, and music. That’s enough reason for me.
– George Huynh
The writer is the executive director of VietAID.
