Min-Zhan Lu’s experience with language selection differs greatly from the other examples so far this semester. Opposed to the desire for people to feel comfortable expressing themselves using their native dialect, as a young child Lu was urged to use three different languages. More interestingly, Lu’s home language was the furthest from the native language of the area. The native language, Shanghai, was only to be used with the servants because that was all they could speak and was quickly being replaced with Standard Chinese, which she used in school. Her parents urged Lu to use English because they believed it was the language that would cause the most success.
“My grandmother reminisced constantly about how she had slaved and saved to send my father to a first-rate missionary school. And we were made to understand that it was my father’s fluent English that had opened the door to his success.”
Lu, “From Silence to Words: Writing as Struggle”
An issue seen in American culture is fear of expression for different cultures in certain areas. It is remarkable that Lu had the same emotions around this issue, but her experience was the exact opposite. A language that was not even her native language became her home language, and then suddenly she was persuaded away from using it anymore. It was fascinating that as soon as Lu grew older, she realized the political climate change. English, once being the language that offered a brighter future, became the language of the “Bourgeois.” It was frowned upon to use anything other than Standard Chinese because of judgement from the “working class.” She felt uncomfortable using English because people would assume she felt more superior. She says, “From then on, I took care not to use English outside home and to conceal my knowledge of English from my new classmates.” This brings up some important questions. Why is it that using a certain language can be met with such strongly opposing cultural opinion, resulting in fear for the speaker or the audience? Why is it the way that something is said is focused on, and not the content of what is being said?
E367: Writing and Diversity 