Chinese School

So Chinese School was always a given for me as a kid. No matter where we moved, and we did move to quite a few places, my parents always found a Chinese school to go to and it was something we went to every Saturday (or Sunday depending on the school). I remember living far inland in California where there was only a small Asian community and every Saturday my whole family and I would drive 1 to 1-1/2 hours to the city where there was Chinese school so that we could attend. 

It's funny that I meet a lot of people that went to Chinese school as a kid because their parents 'made' them and how they 'hated' it and how they didn't learn anything.  For me, it was kind of the opposite. I actually liked it and I somehow learned there. I think my parents were also really strict about speaking Chinese at home - and English was used pretty much just outside or at school.

Now as a parent, I'm just assuming my kids will also follow in my footsteps and go to Chinese school. I took K1 to some mommy and me classes and it's really interesting that in her class there were Caucasian, Koreans, Japanese that were also taking the class. Chinese language classes are becoming really popular!  There are a few (unfortunately not close to us) immersion programs appearing as well. If there was one in our school District I would definitely send my kids there.

It's interesting although I live in a community with a large Asian population there is not an immersion program available.  I heard it's quite political and maybe Districts don't necessarily want to open up to let in ethnic programs. I know 1 program was started in a school District by a bunch of moms who convinced the school District to incorporate an immersion program. The school the District allowed it in was slightly under performing and is hoping the immersion program will attract students from outside the community. The District even stated that we will accept the program 'only if it doesn't cost us a dime'.  Interesting, huh?

I think it's interesting how different generations thought differently about being bilingual issues. My husbands older cousins, who's parents immigrants but immigrated when they were older seemed to tend to think it is better to become American and be fully assimilate. They tended to learn English and eventually spoke English to their kids. So their kids don't speak or understand Chinese and nor will their kids, the next generation. However the younger aunts/ uncles who also immigrated here, tended to continue to speak Chinese to their kids. Their mentality was to keep your culture and be more what people call 'Asian-American'.  So their kids will still understand it and can communicate with it and possibly the next generation, will also learn it and be bilingual - but it will depend if they can keep it up. 

The other thing I find interesting in talking to parents that are bilingual some have the view that the child will be confused if you speak to them in 2 languages. Some have the view that if your kids all speak English and you speak Chinese, then after awhile, you might not be as close to your child because you don't quite 'fit into' their world which is all English (e.g. school and how they communicate with their friends). 

As for me, I find it important to be bilingual. I really hope that my children will learn and appreciate the same that my parents gave me. I hope that I have the discipline to keep it up - since I do see now that my daughter is going to preschool classes and talking to her peers and cousins in English she speaks a lot more English now.