English, English, English. It is the language of common parlance in the United States and is traditionally considered beneficial for economic success worldwide. But there is another aspect for immigrant families. When learning English comes at the cost of not learning the language of your parents and grandparents, there is profound loss. Loss of connection to elders, culture, identity, history, community…

In Europe it is not uncommon for people to be bilingual, or multi-lingual. English is often the second or third language. It does not erase the other languages, nor does speaking German, French, or Czech as a first language prevent the learning of English. In Africa many people speak multiple languages, a mix of local and colonial. It is not an inherent limitation of the human brain to speak or understand only one form of communication. What is it about the United States that makes bilingualism so difficult to sustain?

The US is comparatively isolated both geographically and psychologically. Much of the nation is far from any geographic need or natural opportunity for using a second language. Attitude also plays a role. In Europe languages other than the national language are granted validity and respect and routinely taught and used. The perspective of “American exceptionalism” has made it easy to accept that at this time English has become the lingua franca of much of the world and give a sense of entitlement to Americans to be able to speak English wherever they go. Language learning is also often seen as too difficult; there is less fear of learning and using another language in other places, it is just normal.

A recent column by Laura Yuen in the Star Tribune “The grief of losing your parents’ language” (https://www.startribune.com/yuen-the-grief-of-losing-your-parents-language/600100533/) explores the loss to individuals and community when youth cannot speak the language of their parents and grandparents.

She opens with an anecdote about Olympic gold medalist, Sunisa Lee. When a journalist asked Sunisa a question in Hmong she was unable to give her response in Hmong and appeared uncomfortable and embarrassed. Embarrassment when not fluent often leads to reluctance to speak, both at home and in public and exacerbates the problem.

For immigrant families, as the generations become more Americanized and more fluent in English, the family’s first language and culture are difficult to maintain. Sometimes parents intentionally decline to teach the language, tying their child’s success in life to English; other times, the loss just seems to happen organically.

Then when, as for Sunisa, young people are expected to speak their cultural language they are flummoxed. A similar phenomenon occurs for transnational adoptees. Visiting the country of their birth may bring joy at being in a place where they do not visually stand out, but dismay because they cannot communicate.

So how does Sunisa’s generation stay connected to elders, community and heritage?

We are all enriched when we learn another language; it is the key to another culture. For the children of immigrants English is the key to assimilation and assimilation is a complex mix of gain and loss. What can we all do to support multi-lingualism?

Addendum: No sooner than I had submitted this article to the Voter than I heard a moving and informative discussion of this very topic on MPR News with Angela Davis. For many personal stories and insights from Minnesotans of many ethnicities and ages listen at https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2021/10/18/losing-your-parents-language.