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    The author explores their mixed heritage language background and what defines their heritage. The author's mother is from Taiwan and speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and Taishanese, while their father is from Burma and spoke Burmese but has lost touch with the language. Though the author speaks English most fluently, they associate most with their father's Burmese culture through traditions like making Mohinga during family gatherings and valuing family and community. While the author does not speak Burmese, Burmese culture has shaped their identity and outlook on inclusiveness despite linguistic differences.

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    The author explores their mixed heritage language background and what defines their heritage. The author's mother is from Taiwan and speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and Taishanese, while their father is from Burma and spoke Burmese but has lost touch with the language. Though the author speaks English most fluently, they associate most with their father's Burmese culture through traditions like making Mohinga during family gatherings and valuing family and community. While the author does not speak Burmese, Burmese culture has shaped their identity and outlook on inclusiveness despite linguistic differences.

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    31 views3 pages

    Heritage Autobigoraphy

    Uploaded by

    api-271286049
    The author explores their mixed heritage language background and what defines their heritage. The author's mother is from Taiwan and speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and Taishanese, while their father is from Burma and spoke Burmese but has lost touch with the language. Though the author speaks English most fluently, they associate most with their father's Burmese culture through traditions like making Mohinga during family gatherings and valuing family and community. While the author does not speak Burmese, Burmese culture has shaped their identity and outlook on inclusiveness despite linguistic differences.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 3

    RachelLee

    Honors3947C
    6April2015
    ProfessorKim
    HeritageAutobiography
    HeritagelanguageisasubjectwhereIfindmyselfinastateofuncertainty.Whatexactly
    identifiesasheritage?IsitacultureImbornintooracultureIassociatewithbecauseofmy
    upbringing?ThesearethetypeofquestionsIaskmyselfasIlookbackatmychildhood
    experiencesandnormsofmyimmigrantparents.
    Overall,languagehasbeenamixedandconfusingsubjectforme.Whenpeopleaskme
    whatlanguageIspeak,Ifindmyselfinadilemma.MyMotheremigratedfromTaiwan,while
    myFatheremigratedfromBurma.AstheytransitionedtheirliveshereintheUnitedStatesthey
    facedlanguagebarriersanddiscriminationfrommanyindividuals.Asaresultofthis,myfather
    whospokeBurmeseashisnativelanguagestartedtolosetouchwiththeculturebutalsothe
    languageaswell.HenolongerspokeBurmeseashisprimaryformofcommunication,ashe
    transitionedtoEnglishashisdominantlanguage.Incontrast,mymotherspeaksMandarin,
    Cantonese,andTaishanese.Taishaneseishernativelanguage,anditisalsotheprimaryformof
    communicationthatisusedinourhousehold.However,theonlydownfallofTaishaneseisthatit
    isidentifiedasfarmerlanguage,asmanyofmycousinscallit.
    TaishaneseisadialectofYueChineseandiscloselyrelatedtoCantonese.Veryfew
    peoplespeakit,asMandarinandCantonesehavebecometheprimarylanguagesspokentothis
    day.Bringinginthequestionofwhatismyheritagelanguage,IprimarilyassociateTaishanese

    asthelanguagethatIhavelearnedsincebirth,butIfindmyselfmorecompetentinEnglish,as
    thisismyprimaryformofcommunication.However,IalsoassociatemyheritagewithBurmese
    culturebecauseIseemyfamilycustomsandcelebrationstightlylinkedtothiscultureover
    Taiwaneseculture.Forexample,avaluethatishighlyemphasizedbymyfamilyistherespectof
    eldersandacknowledgementofclosefriendsasbrothersorsisters.Thisisacustomthatisseen
    inBurmeseculture.Also,familygatheringsareallcenteredonBurmesecuisine.Itiscommon
    toseeallfamilymembersinthekitchenhelpingoutevenifanindividualhasnocooking
    experience.Thearomasofspices,coconut,andfishsaucearethethreemainingredientsforthe
    makingofMohinga,thenationalrecognizedcuisineinMyanmar.Thiscuisineisapartofmy
    childhood,asmyparentsmakeiteverytimeIcomebackhomefromcollege.Itisatraditional
    mealthatbringsallmyfamilymemberstogether,butalsoformyparentstorememberBurma,
    andforotherslikemetobemoreculturallyawareofmyheritage.
    Ultimately,myheritagehasgreatlyshapedthepersonthatIamtoday.Frommy
    childhoodtilltoday,IhavedevelopedanattitudebutalsoawarenessofhowItreatandvalue
    family,friends,andmembersofacommunity.AlthoughIdontspeakBurmese,theculturehas
    greatlyinfluencedwhoIamtodayanditisapartofmyidentity.Linkingbacktothecustomsof
    thisculture,allmemberswelcomeindividualswithlittleproficiencyinthelanguage(likeme)
    withopenarms.Becauseofthisoutlook,Ivalueallindividualsasone,insteadofdifferentiating
    othersbythelanguagetheyspeakortheethnicitytheyassociatewith.Overall,Ithinkmy
    heritageisvaluedalotlessincomparisontootherlanguagesandcultures.WhenIreferto
    BurmaandBurmeseculture,manyareunawareoftherelevancyofthisculture.Mostofthe
    time,myfriendswereunawarethattherewasevenalanguagethatexistedinBurma.Ifindthat

    thisexistsbecausemanysmallcultures,likeBurma,arentasculturallyrichorexposedinthe
    UnitedStates.

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