Good reasons for kids to learn heritage language & culture

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We speak English and Spanish at home. What matters they are good and empathetic kids.

That’s it? Wouldn’t they be better off if they spoke multiple languages and experienced multiple cultures? It’s not either or…

Yes we do embrace both cultures! We eat our parents traditional foods, I even speck the native indigenous language Quechua from Bolivia. Not many people speak it around here but I really like the language.
We like other countries traditions too like Dia de los Muertos to celebrate the good memories instead of crying, and Americans too like Halloween, Easter bunny and more

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The second gen kid I knew told his parents forcing the heritage language that he was American and had no interest in learning their heritage language. His priority was in being an American only.

He is. His parent's heritage is foreign to him.

I'm the PP here. Yes. He told his parents he had no interest in speaking their language and that he was an American
and wanted to only speak English since he was an American. He was a proud American kid.

And this is good? Being a “proud American kid” does it preclude him for the enrichment of speaking multiple languages and embracing different cultures? It seems quite ignorant to me.

I think you need to chill out.

I am calm, but you should open your mind a little.

I guess I'm not really sure what your point is. Are you saying that being "multicultural" makes you objectively better than someone who "single cultural" or someone who has lost their culture over the generations or for whatever reason doesn't prioritize maintaining their language/culture?

Some people come to the US and all they want to do is assimilate. But maybe you and your family already look "American" (i.e.) white enough so there's no need to assimilate. Your kids won't have a chip on their shoulder. Maybe you should open your mind up to the experiences of other groups of people.

Not better than others, but better than they would be if they only spoke 1 language and knew nothing of their parents heritage cultures. Or do you think speaking an extra language and embracing another culture is useless?

I am sure some people back in the day wanted to only be American. Thankfully, things have changed and in most places (definitely in the DMV) being bilingual or trilingual is seen as a good thing. Nobody has ever looked down in my kids because they speak 3 languages and spend their summer in Europe (at least not to our face).

OP does a huge disservice to her kids by not teaching them another language and her heritage. She is taking something beautiful and enriching away from her kids. Something that will make them smarter, more self aware, more able to see things in perspective, academic benefits, etc.

You keep referencing race and yes, my kids and I are white and I guess blend in (not even sure what that means nowadays) with the white American kids… so what?

So what?

Not op here but pp, you are the reason white people are often stereotyped as being clueless.
As immigrants, passing as white in the US where no one will question that you belong here, versus a non-white immigrant who will face various struggles to feel like they belong in this country, is a whole different ball game. And yes, sometimes feeling like they belong in america can be more important to these kids development and sense of identity than being multilingual and knowing their parents ancestry.

Mind-boggling, I know.

I don’t see this happening in my kids’ schools AT ALL. Plenty of Chinese, Indian, Korean kids… they all celebrate their heritage. There is something called Global studies where they study one different country every year. There is a day where people from other countries are invited to share their heritage, food, costumes, dances, songs, etc. DH and I have done this in preschool and early elementary many times as have done aasian, African, Caribbean parents. My kids are still youngish (late elementary), but speaking multiple languages and having foreign parents is cool… don’t most private school want this type of people? Don’t they advertise how many languages and nationalities are in their schools?
Don’t American parents send their kids to full immersion school so they can hopefully speak another language other than English? How lucky are the Hispanic kids that are already fluent!

I am sure a generation or two ago the reality was different, but being a proud American and refusing to learn your ore ta language/culture is not something anyone should be proud of… and again, I never see this around my kids today

[Anonymous]

What is the most important thing is to teach our kids Empathy.
Empathy to let others be happy with whatever they choose

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the most important thing is to teach our kids Empathy.
Empathy to let others be happy with whatever they choose

No need to go to school or do homework to learn empathy… your bar is very low

[Anonymous]

Some kids starts learning their grandparents Spanish language. It doesn't matter if the second generation don't speak it.

If your parents didn't speak Spanish, Italian, Chinese, if thet were alcoholics it DOES NOT MEAN YOU WILL BE THE SAME TOO!!

YOU CHOOSE YOUR LIFE, many people start learning languages Eben tho their parents never did

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The second gen kid I knew told his parents forcing the heritage language that he was American and had no interest in learning their heritage language. His priority was in being an American only.

He is. His parent's heritage is foreign to him.

I'm the PP here. Yes. He told his parents he had no interest in speaking their language and that he was an American
and wanted to only speak English since he was an American. He was a proud American kid.

Well Americans who speaks many languages are Americans too. That person is an idiot. Every American is different.

If we were all the same it would be a very boring world

Lol “that person is an idiot”. …the kid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The second gen kid I knew told his parents forcing the heritage language that he was American and had no interest in learning their heritage language. His priority was in being an American only.

I think that’s really sad and probably heartbreaking for the family…

NP but not really. Kids rebel. Especially in the early years of school when they want to conform to their peers. I am second gen and many of us did this, then came back to appreciate our culture and language a few years later (like MS/HS).

Also, language school sounds boring. You need to play games, watch movies or do other fun things in the language. But don’t force them to do it if they don’t want to. They’ll come back around eventually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some kids starts learning their grandparents Spanish language. It doesn't matter if the second generation don't speak it.

If your parents didn't speak Spanish, Italian, Chinese, if thet were alcoholics it DOES NOT MEAN YOU WILL BE THE SAME TOO!!

YOU CHOOSE YOUR LIFE, many people start learning languages Eben tho their parents never did

Your English need work yikes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the most important thing is to teach our kids Empathy.
Empathy to let others be happy with whatever they choose

No need to go to school or do homework to learn empathy… your bar is very low

The US has too many bullies, mass shooters. It's like a disease. Most Americans likes to be scared, dramatize and not let others be happy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some kids starts learning their grandparents Spanish language. It doesn't matter if the second generation don't speak it.

If your parents didn't speak Spanish, Italian, Chinese, if thet were alcoholics it DOES NOT MEAN YOU WILL BE THE SAME TOO!!

YOU CHOOSE YOUR LIFE, many people start learning languages Eben tho their parents never did

Your English need work yikes

I no lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The second gen kid I knew told his parents forcing the heritage language that he was American and had no interest in learning their heritage language. His priority was in being an American only.

He is. His parent's heritage is foreign to him.

I'm the PP here. Yes. He told his parents he had no interest in speaking their language and that he was an American
and wanted to only speak English since he was an American. He was a proud American kid.

And this is good? Being a “proud American kid” does it preclude him for the enrichment of speaking multiple languages and embracing different cultures? It seems quite ignorant to me.

I think you need to chill out.

I am calm, but you should open your mind a little.

I guess I'm not really sure what your point is. Are you saying that being "multicultural" makes you objectively better than someone who "single cultural" or someone who has lost their culture over the generations or for whatever reason doesn't prioritize maintaining their language/culture?

Some people come to the US and all they want to do is assimilate. But maybe you and your family already look "American" (i.e.) white enough so there's no need to assimilate. Your kids won't have a chip on their shoulder. Maybe you should open your mind up to the experiences of other groups of people.

Not better than others, but better than they would be if they only spoke 1 language and knew nothing of their parents heritage cultures. Or do you think speaking an extra language and embracing another culture is useless?

I am sure some people back in the day wanted to only be American. Thankfully, things have changed and in most places (definitely in the DMV) being bilingual or trilingual is seen as a good thing. Nobody has ever looked down in my kids because they speak 3 languages and spend their summer in Europe (at least not to our face).

OP does a huge disservice to her kids by not teaching them another language and her heritage. She is taking something beautiful and enriching away from her kids. Something that will make them smarter, more self aware, more able to see things in perspective, academic benefits, etc.

You keep referencing race and yes, my kids and I are white and I guess blend in (not even sure what that means nowadays) with the white American kids… so what?

So what?

Not op here but pp, you are the reason white people are often stereotyped as being clueless.
As immigrants, passing as white in the US where no one will question that you belong here, versus a non-white immigrant who will face various struggles to feel like they belong in this country, is a whole different ball game. And yes, sometimes feeling like they belong in america can be more important to these kids development and sense of identity than being multilingual and knowing their parents ancestry.

Mind-boggling, I know.

I don’t see this happening in my kids’ schools AT ALL. Plenty of Chinese, Indian, Korean kids… they all celebrate their heritage. There is something called Global studies where they study one different country every year. There is a day where people from other countries are invited to share their heritage, food, costumes, dances, songs, etc. DH and I have done this in preschool and early elementary many times as have done aasian, African, Caribbean parents. My kids are still youngish (late elementary), but speaking multiple languages and having foreign parents is cool… don’t most private school want this type of people? Don’t they advertise how many languages and nationalities are in their schools?
Don’t American parents send their kids to full immersion school so they can hopefully speak another language other than English? How lucky are the Hispanic kids that are already fluent!

I am sure a generation or two ago the reality was different, but being a proud American and refusing to learn your ore ta language/culture is not something anyone should be proud of… and again, I never see this around my kids today

How do you know all the Chinese, Indian and Korean kids in school celebrate their heritage? What does that even mean? You think participating in "Global Studies" and bringing some food to an event one day a year means they're all super motivated to learn about their culture/heritage? Give me a break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the most important thing is to teach our kids Empathy.
Empathy to let others be happy with whatever they choose

No need to go to school or do homework to learn empathy… your bar is very low

The US has too many bullies, mass shooters. It's like a disease. Most Americans likes to be scared, dramatize and not let others be happy

Again, this is not my experience AT ALL. All Americans we have met understand the privilege we have of giving our kids the gift of a second language/culture. They understand that it’s a richness. Public and private school parents alike (American and foreign) all understand what is obvious to everyone (except DCUM apparently) and that is that another culture/language enriches you in so many ways. Our inbound public school is great and full immersion (Spanish). All kids/parents I know expose their kids to another language (even at my kids’ private school).

It seems DCUM lives in a different town from the one I live in…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The second gen kid I knew told his parents forcing the heritage language that he was American and had no interest in learning their heritage language. His priority was in being an American only.

He is. His parent's heritage is foreign to him.

I'm the PP here. Yes. He told his parents he had no interest in speaking their language and that he was an American
and wanted to only speak English since he was an American. He was a proud American kid.

And this is good? Being a “proud American kid” does it preclude him for the enrichment of speaking multiple languages and embracing different cultures? It seems quite ignorant to me.

I think you need to chill out.

I am calm, but you should open your mind a little.

I guess I'm not really sure what your point is. Are you saying that being "multicultural" makes you objectively better than someone who "single cultural" or someone who has lost their culture over the generations or for whatever reason doesn't prioritize maintaining their language/culture?

Some people come to the US and all they want to do is assimilate. But maybe you and your family already look "American" (i.e.) white enough so there's no need to assimilate. Your kids won't have a chip on their shoulder. Maybe you should open your mind up to the experiences of other groups of people.

Not better than others, but better than they would be if they only spoke 1 language and knew nothing of their parents heritage cultures. Or do you think speaking an extra language and embracing another culture is useless?

I am sure some people back in the day wanted to only be American. Thankfully, things have changed and in most places (definitely in the DMV) being bilingual or trilingual is seen as a good thing. Nobody has ever looked down in my kids because they speak 3 languages and spend their summer in Europe (at least not to our face).

OP does a huge disservice to her kids by not teaching them another language and her heritage. She is taking something beautiful and enriching away from her kids. Something that will make them smarter, more self aware, more able to see things in perspective, academic benefits, etc.

You keep referencing race and yes, my kids and I are white and I guess blend in (not even sure what that means nowadays) with the white American kids… so what?

So what?

Not op here but pp, you are the reason white people are often stereotyped as being clueless.
As immigrants, passing as white in the US where no one will question that you belong here, versus a non-white immigrant who will face various struggles to feel like they belong in this country, is a whole different ball game. And yes, sometimes feeling like they belong in america can be more important to these kids development and sense of identity than being multilingual and knowing their parents ancestry.

Mind-boggling, I know.

I don’t see this happening in my kids’ schools AT ALL. Plenty of Chinese, Indian, Korean kids… they all celebrate their heritage. There is something called Global studies where they study one different country every year. There is a day where people from other countries are invited to share their heritage, food, costumes, dances, songs, etc. DH and I have done this in preschool and early elementary many times as have done aasian, African, Caribbean parents. My kids are still youngish (late elementary), but speaking multiple languages and having foreign parents is cool… don’t most private school want this type of people? Don’t they advertise how many languages and nationalities are in their schools?
Don’t American parents send their kids to full immersion school so they can hopefully speak another language other than English? How lucky are the Hispanic kids that are already fluent!

I am sure a generation or two ago the reality was different, but being a proud American and refusing to learn your ore ta language/culture is not something anyone should be proud of… and again, I never see this around my kids today

How do you know all the Chinese, Indian and Korean kids in school celebrate their heritage? What does that even mean? You think participating in "Global Studies" and bringing some food to an event one day a year means they're all super motivated to learn about their culture/heritage? Give me a break.

Actually, I do because my kids are friends with many of them. Not all speak perfect Chines or Korean, but are proud to follow some of the traditions, travel to their home countries, etc. my examples were to state that the schools around my kids celebrate diversity (yes… not only race… also cultural). Kids are proud to be half Italian, Indian, Chinese because the environment they live in celebrate their “diversity”. My kids think it’s super cool they have 3 nationalities and many of their friends are the same… but also plenty of Americans that travel to other countries to expose their kids to different cultures, or who hire Nannie’s/aupair and from other countries, etc.

[Anonymous]

My friends baby has double nationality. The baby has an American passport and a Sweden passport. So when he wants he can have free college in Sweden

[Anonymous]

A lot of Russians are migrating to Argentina because Argentina are nice and gives free healthcare mostly, free education to all. But looks like it's a problem.
Argentina is the Only country who gives free stuff to foreigners while Bolivia and all latinoamerica charges money to foreigners .
Argentina needs to charge them, they are becoming more poorer than the rest of the countries