When we hear accents, we aren’t just hearing how someone speaks, we are also hearing people’s stories, stories that our society often mistakes for flaws. Certainly, Amy Tan profoundly understands this idea showcased by one of her written works, “Mother Tongue.” Individuals who don’t speak “standard” English often face detrimental prejudice. Such demoralization discourages said individuals from expressing themselves in their own ways, but rather ways that are forced upon them. It is only through understanding these struggles that we may create a more inclusive and less prejudicial society.
Born on February 19, 1952 in Oakland, California, Amy Tan is an American author with a Chinese background. She graduated from Linfield University and has published many written works, such as, “The Joy Luck Club” and “The Kitchen God’s Wife.” Her works often convey messages that relate to language, identity and culture. “Mother Tongue” is no exception. Published in 1990, this essay discusses some of Tan’s experiences and personal anecdotes of her life with a mother with “broken” English to challenge societal stereotypes about people who are not fully fluent in a language. By relating to a certain niche of people, Amy Tan cultivates an audience of people who have gone through similar experiences, more specifically, immigrants or children of immigrants.
People with “broken” or “not perfect” English often feel left out while fearing judgments from others. These groups of people are reassured when there’s at least one person that speaks out and gives them a voice. That voice is what aids people in understanding that the way someone speaks doesn’t undermine their capabilities in any way. Amy Tan is an example of this voice. Her descriptions of her mother’s English is what audiences can resonate with and allow them to imagine themselves in similar situations. The author drives attention to a specific conversation with her mother, where she talks about a political gangster that wanted to be adopted by her family but didn’t and later became more powerful and richer than their family. Throughout her speech, Tan’s mother uses phrases such as “Now important person, very hard to inviting him” (Tan 1) and “He come to my wedding. I didn’t see, I heard it” (Tan 1). Such way of speaking is what evokes feelings of familiarity within the readers that Amy Tan uses to further amplify her message. By sharing her conversation, Tan generates a voice for people who may struggle with feeling like the world views them as inferior simply because of their accent or way of speaking. Readers are reassured that one’s value doesn’t come from speaking in a contemporary way, but rather from the way they naturally express themselves. A society that allows language prejudice is only tampering with its own growth. No community is able to function through hate and hostility, that’s why we must have people that speak out on these problems and prove that this prejudice is nonsensical.
Moreover, stigmas about people who don’t speak fluent English are senseless and erroneous. The way someone expresses themselves doesn’t determine their intelligence or capabilities. An individual can be vastly proficient in one or many things, but that doesn’t mean that they have to be perfectly fluent in a certain language. In her essay, Amy Tan also acknowledges this. Tan mentions how many of her friends are not able to fully understand her mother’s English. Despite this, Tan assures the reader that there is little to no correlation between her mother’s way of speaking and her intelligence. The author explains how her mother is able to understand things that she herself can’t, such as certain books and stock market related topics. Such revelation provides a reasoning as to why “broken” English is not a determining factor for intellect. It is important to shed light on the problem of people viewing others as inferior just because of the way they talk. Expressing their thoughts in the best way people can should be commemorated rather than looked down upon. Unless people see accents for what they are, a way of expression, prejudices will remain brewing division and disdain.
Lastly, changing people’s detrimental views of others with non fluent English is only part of the problem. The most important fight is the internal one. Many people who don’t speak mainstream English struggle with accepting the fact that the way they speak has been influenced by years of experiencing different cultures, languages, and people and therefore has been engraved into who they are as a person. Tan lists her Englishes as “the English I spoke to my mother, [which might] be described as ‘simple’; the English she used with me, [which might] be described as ‘broken’; my translation of her Chinese, which could certainly be described as ‘watered down’” (Tan 3). Amy Tan describes these different ways of speaking in order to show that code switching is a way to effectively communicate and convey one’s ideas. People shouldn’t feel pressured to speak in only one way when in fact, they feel more comfortable speaking a certain way. Embracing oneself is crucial to getting rid of the mindset that’s placed upon by others that those who speak “broken” English are automatically inferior than those who speak mainstream English. It is through the effort of everyone involved that language prejudice can start to diminish.
All in all, when people judge the way someone speaks they are not criticizing grammar or accent, they are also devaluating their history, culture, and who they are as a person. When we stop and reflect on people’s way of talking, we realize that there is much more to one person than their “broken” English, there’s also intellect, talent, and uniqueness. More people, such as Amy Tan, are to speak up on this issue and bring forward reasonings, beliefs, and experiences that humanizes such forms of expression. If we want to form a world where people are seen and heard for who they really are, then we have to do our part and challenge harmful language prejudices that are detrimental towards many.