二 (èr) Elephant Mountain
The Mandarin I did learn can be traced back to being raised by my grandmothers. I remember once, on a hike at Elephant Mountain in Taipei, a local man overheard me speaking Chinese and started laughing. At first, I felt a rush of shame and embarrassment, assuming he was making fun of my poor language skills. He felt badly, and immediately explained that he wasn't laughing at me but at the antiquated syntax I was using. He was confused as to why a young woman was speaking like a an old granny.
In that moment, I realized the language I had inherited from my grandmothers was frozen in time, preserved the way it was when they left their homeland. They had crossed oceans to be reunited with their sons and daughters, raising grandchildren in a foreign land without realizing they had left something intangible and deeply important behind.
2. I cannot read or write Chinese, leaving me functionally illiterate in the language.
3. Like many diasporic children before me, my childhood was filled with failed attempts at sending me to Chinese language schools on Saturday morning.
4. I grew up in a household where we spoke a mixture of Mandarin and English. My Dad became more acculturated than my Mom as a byproduct of joining the workforce. He developed much stronger language skills, whereas my Mom had fewer opportunities to practice English as a small business owner.
5. Both of my parents worked constantly, which meant they had little time for my brother and me.
In that moment, I realized the language I had inherited from my grandmothers was frozen in time, preserved the way it was when they left their homeland. They had crossed oceans to be reunited with their sons and daughters, raising grandchildren in a foreign land without realizing they had left something intangible and deeply important behind.
A list of things that contributed to the language barrier:
1. I speak Mandarin only at an elementary level, which makes communication with my first-generation family members difficult.2. I cannot read or write Chinese, leaving me functionally illiterate in the language.
3. Like many diasporic children before me, my childhood was filled with failed attempts at sending me to Chinese language schools on Saturday morning.
4. I grew up in a household where we spoke a mixture of Mandarin and English. My Dad became more acculturated than my Mom as a byproduct of joining the workforce. He developed much stronger language skills, whereas my Mom had fewer opportunities to practice English as a small business owner.
5. Both of my parents worked constantly, which meant they had little time for my brother and me.