What do I think? Growing up, I have always struggled with the feeling of being pulled into two different directions as a result of growing up between two cultures that seemed to be polar opposites. It took me a very long time to realize that I should not have to choose between the two. I learned to be proud of living a “hyphenated American” life, and my struggles with identity actually helped give me a clearer picture of who I want to be.
However the focus of this website is not to explore culture or traditions of hyphenated Americans but to learn about the languages that define them. My family migrated to America on my very first birthday, and I have lived here ever since. However, instead of letting the popular and, often times, overwhelming American culture engulf me completely, I managed to keep the Vietnamese identity and traditions prevalent in my life. More importantly, I sound like any other native Vietnamese that has never stepped foot in America. As you might notice as you go through this website, I explore the culture of being fully fluent in two or more languages and how too often, the English language threatens to take over completely through my amazing interviewees: Sammie, Nadia, and Kevin. I want to expose how hard we all fight to keep our native languages alive and thriving in our lives. |