Viet-glish

The Vietnamese language is made up of a number of distinct languages and its own unique dialects. Some words are introduced to the vocabulary of another group, just like in many modern languages. This is very similar to how the English language has its own dialects depending on the region or by a particular group of people. 

Growing up in a household with two parents who couldn’t speak English, I spoke Vietnamese before I learned to speak the English Language. It was hard for my parents to try and teach me English since they weren’t able to teach themselves. The language barrier between Asian immigrants and Americans is often perceived as a hindrance. Many would see my situation as odd since I was born in the U.S, but I wasn’t able to speak English before I started school. Writing in English was confusing to me since I was so used to writing in Vietnamese, so once I tried transitioning to writing in English, I remember writing with Vietnamese words. For example, the task would be to write what you did in the morning, and I would write “I woke up and brushed my teeth with “kem danh rang”, instead of “toothpaste”. Vietnamese writing is similar to English writing in the way there are English letters in Vietnamese writing.

I never remembered much from my childhood other than visiting Vietnam. I have a very clear memory of visiting Vietnam many times before I started school, and would often stay for long periods of time. When I started kindergarten, many of my classmates assumed I was an immigrant since I couldn’t speak or write in English. This was an example of how I was more in touch with my ethnic cultural side rather than my “born American” side. My relatives in Vietnam always found it strange, and often humorous since someone who was born in such a prestigious country such as the U.S couldn’t even speak their language. Growing up, I would question my identity. Was I American or was I Vietnamese? This was rather difficult since being an American born Vietnamese made me feel as if I had to negotiate between two conflicting cultural systems. I never thought I could accept both parties as who I am since both cultures are contrasting. 

The concept of emphasizing how hardworking, intelligent, and other good virtues Asians were perceived to have often captured the media’s attention. This correlated to my struggles in elementary school, and was shown when others would see an Asian student struggling on a subject. After all, Asian students were seen as more intelligent due to their hardworking nature as the media throws out to the public. When one sees the complete opposite they would find it humorous, and amusing because you broke the norm and are the opposite. 

English is the language used for international communication, and can be universal, and is frequently used for social interaction. Throughout my years in elementary school, English had always been my weakness and it was shown through written assignments, and greatly hindered my confidence when my ELA state test scores were released. Although over time my habit of incorporating Vietnamese words into English writing improved, I was still not confident in my writing abilities. I remember my teacher telling us to express ourselves when we write, almost to the point you write down your feelings and express it into writing. This principle stuck with me ever since, but growing up heavily influenced by immigrant parents, it can be a little hard to be able to express how you truly feel. I’m sure that people with immigrant parents can relate with the difficulty of being able to open up.

From doing something that should be enjoyable such as eating and talking can easily turn into a lecture, and can end up being dead silent as if there isn’t anyone around you. The moment I started improving on my writing was when I accepted my situation for what it was, and nonetheless expressed myself in my own way since expressing yourself did not have limitations or requirements such as format or a specific way to write. After accepting myself not only as an American, but as a Vietnamese American, I began to become more in touch with both of my cultures and understand how both sides influenced my character and helped me grow in English courses.