The way bilingual people perceive their cultural heritage depends on their childhood experiences. Amy Tan writes in her essay “Mother’s tong” about the memories of her childhood, the inability of her mother to speak English as if it was her native language, and the ways it influenced the author’s life and self-perception. Even when the author’s mother tried to speak without mistakes in English, she still needed clarification in the American hospital. For instance, the healthcare personnel did not apologize for losing her scans, and Amy Tan explained it to herself as the result of her mother’s lack of English language fluency. The author describes how her mother speaks in English as fractured or broken, making it difficult for others to understand what she meant, and Tan was shy when others heard her mother talking. Only with time did the author understand that her mother’s experience was valuable and was the common thing all Asian Americans shared.
Amy Tan also writes that her mother’s lack of English language proficiency when she was a child affected her social life and resulted in her studying. It acted on her creativity because it was difficult for her to interact with complex linguistic structures (Tan, n.d.). She claims that these problems are typical for most Asian Americans, who find math easier than language and creativity due to their background. The author writes that children in Asian American families feel a barrier between their parents, the first generation of immigrants, and other Americans. Even when they cannot understand the reason behind this problem, it negatively influences their life. Therefore, Asian Americans must acknowledge their cultural heritage and not be shy about it.
Reference
Tan, Amy. (n.d.) Mother’s tong. n.p. [Pdf file].