Mother Tongue by Amy Tan

First, Amy Tan’s mother was not taken seriously because of the way she spoke. The way people speak can be a cover that affects how people communicate and understand each other. In the essay “Mother Tongue”, there are many occasions in which Tan’s mother was discriminated because of her “limited English.” Tan makes note that people do not take her mother seriously because of the way she speaks. “The fact that people in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her” (466). Tan’s mother was treated differently because of her “limited English.” At the hospital the doctors just assumed that she did not know what she was talking about. They neglected her request and told her to go home. In the essay, Tan describes a situation in which her mother’s inability to speak standard English prevented her from getting her the CAT scan she came for (466). Evident in this scene, the doctors did not take Tan’s mother seriously because of the way she spoke. Because Tan’s mother had difficulty speaking English, the doctors assumed she was wrong. Similarly, working at a supermarket, I have seen many employees and coworkers ignore customers because the way they spoke English was “limited.” Some would generally disregard the customers all together or pretend like they either were

First and foremost, new immigrants encounter copious issues to fit in the new society. The major concern among these problems is the language barrier. The excerpt from ‘Newcomer’ written by Mehri Yalfani 's highlights the challenges that Susan, an immigrant from Iran, faced throughout her course of understanding and speaking English. According to the story, both the hesitation to be fluent in an alien

In “Mother Tongue” essay by Amy Tan, Tan shares her discoveries about the different variations of English she learned growing up in an Chinese-American household, and then reflects on these findings. Tan shows the reader that racial profiling still exists, even in a time where every person is promised freedom and equality in the world. Tan talks about not only does the profiling exist and occur, but that it is also done incorrectly and inefficiently, as Tan clearly demonstrates it by surpassing any test that suggested she study medicine or engineering. In her essay it is noticeable that all the evidence used to support Tan's arguments are past experiences she had as a child growing up, speaking what was considered "broken" English. I can definitely relate to Amy Tan’s essay because I too came from a bilingual home and Like Amy Tan, I had intelligent immigrant parents and I was their main avenue of communication with people who didn’t understand them.

United by the obligations of the law, yet entirely divided by society, welcome to America. Patriots chant “equality” one moment, and “deport them” the next. Cruel, unaccepting, and uncompassionate, American society of the majority often appears to view itself as sovereign, turning a blind eye to, and often contributing to, the struggles of minorities. In “Mother Tongue”, Amy Tan (1990) does an excellent job of sharing her experience with similar issues as she tells her readers about the struggles her mother encountered due to being an immigrant who only spoke “broken” English. Society often put no weight into what Tan’s mother had to say, believing her ability to express her thoughts reflected the quality of said thoughts, which are of absolutely no correlation (Tan, 1990). This often led to Tan having to intervene for her mother, especially during serious situations that required resolution (Tan, 1990). Immigrants, no matter how intelligent or talented, may be plagued by continuous struggles because of a lack of understanding of English or American culture, stereotypes encouraged by the media, and discrimination, especially in the workplace.

Mother Tongue is a story that describes how Amy Tan’s mother was treated unfairly because of her “broken English”. As the second generation of Chinese immigrants, Tan faces more problems than her peers do. Her mom, who speaks “limited” English, needs Tan to be her “translator” in order to communicate with the native English speakers. Tan has felt ashamed of her mother “broken” language at first. She then contemplates her background affected her life and her study. However, she changes her thought at the end since she realizes things behind language might be more valuable than language itself sometimes. Through the various different literary devices and rhetorical strategies such as the ethos, pathos, and logos appeals, as well as a

Amy Tan's essay ¨Mother Tongue¨ is about language and the barriers it can create when people cannot speak with perfect accuracy or the way that is known as the norm. She uses examples of how language impacted her mother so that she could reach out to others who have had similar experiences and show them that they are not alone; that this happens to other people more often than they might think. Additionally, she uses these examples to show people who aren't affected by a language barrier what this discrimination can look like and how it impacts a person and the people close to them. She explains how the discrimination of her mother impacted herself because she wanted to convey a message that discrimination does not always only impact one person,

Imagine living in a world that doesn't have any judgment and any stereotype toward any race or any types of people, then the world would be perfect. In the reality, the real world it is not like that. In “the Language of Prejudice” by Gordon Allport and “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan both essays are trying to tell the reader that even you are born to be in the certain label you can break it. It also argues that stereotype is an important thing even though it is a simple thing that most people are not even aware of. Throughout “The Language of Prejudice” by Gordon Allport, Allport discusses the truth behind our judgment towards nature and dig deeper into the way of human viewing each other and the negative stereotypes that many people were being

Moving to America was one thing, but with the language barrier between the immigrants and this foreign country, it creates a stagnant in their road to success. Min decided to go to the Art Institute of Chicago. However, nobody would take her without having her demonstrate the English language. It is a hard and lonely road. She didn’t get far without English. She taught herself English by watching Sesame Street. Learning English wasn’t her only struggle. She keeps herself afloat working five jobs at once and lives in unheated rooms. It wasn’t long until she attended school. When she was in school an English professor from her English 101 called her a “lousy writer with excellent material” (181). Professors criticized her but also acknowledged

However as Amy Tan reflects upon in her essay ‘’Mother Tongue’’, ‘’She used to have me call people on the phone to pretend to I was she.’’(Tan, Tongue) A young Amy would have to translate her mother's broken english whenever an important call would have to be made, or any transaction was needed. Making it very difficult for her family to afford what they needed, along with the overall discrimination.‘’The fact that people in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.’’(Tan, Tongue) Not having the ability to communicate as easily as her daughter meant that her options for work were very

People who are different are consequently viewed differently. It is human nature to judge others by the stereotypes that have been ingrained into our minds for however long. Stereotypes, however, may not encompass the whole story. Sometimes, you are only getting the discriminatory side of the story--a single story. Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” focuses on the discrimination towards broken English compared to Standard English and the stereotypes that evolved from such discrimination. Similarly, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “The Danger of a Single Story” presents the idea that the “single story” is the reason for biased stereotypes that, more often than not, are untrue. Tan’s life in America was seemingly difficult due to the fact that her life and education were dependent on the language barrier between English and her “mother tongue”--the latter being seen as inferior and embarrassing. She initially felt that her mother’s fragmented English was something to be ashamed of since that was the “single story” that her peers have been spoonfed their whole lives. Adichie, however, denies these views by explaining that such stereotypes are incomplete and do not relay the person at hand’s true identity. In both “Mother Tongue” and “The Danger of a Single Story,” the speakers express how a person’s native language influences their identity through rhetorical devices such as ethos, diction, and metaphors.

As person living with the gift of dual language, Tan’s essay allowed some insight into my own life. She argued that a person’s limitation on language does not reflect their perspective on society or events of the world. The limitation is more of a token than a deficiency, people having these language issues must come up with an exclusive way to portray thoughts and ideas; therefore, enhancing their perceptual knowledge of the world around. Growing up listening to my mother’s English, I have learned to adapt and am able to fully understand her, even though I constantly catch myself trying to correct her. The way she conveys her thoughts and ideas is what makes her unique and who am I to change her by correcting her idiosyncrasies. Although I have become accustomed to my mother’s English there are certain things she says that even

Language is much more than a method of communication. Permeated within it are traditions, customs, and legacies of one’s culture. The identity of an entire population is in the distinct vocalizations of their native language. Unfortunately, as a wave of immigrants enters the United States at young ages, many face language barriers that pose significant challenges. Language barriers affect a multitude of immigrant populations to different degrees. This, in turn, causes many of them to abandon not only their native tongue but a piece of their ethnic identity, as well. In Maxine Hong Kingston’s personal narrative,“The Language of Silence,” she describes the difficulties she experienced throughout her childhood with a language barrier as a

People who can speak a certain language, but only in ‘broken’ form, are generally looked down upon by native language speakers. In her writing, Mother Tongue, Amy Tan writes about her

The author’s purpose in writing this essay is to show that there are different forms of English – there is no one way of speaking the language. The moment of realization for Tan occurs when she is speaking to a group of professionals and notices that she is speaking to them differently than she would her mother. Tan obviously sees the difference in her speech pattern when she notes, “Just last week, as I was walking down the street with her, I again found myself conscious of the English I was using, the English I do use with her.” (Tan, 2006) In spotting her different versions of English with her mother, Tan proves the point of her essay. She is correct in her theory that we speak to different people in our lives in a variety of different manners. She brings to light an occasion with her mother’s stockbroker where her mother’s “broken” English would have caused confusion and Tan had to represent her mother with a clearer English to make the point adequately. In that one memory, Tan integrates the English people believe they should hear and the English that exists in her life.

One of the several claims that are prominent in Tan’s article is that her mother’s English isn’t “limited” or “broken.” The first method the author uses to defend this statement is stating that she “is a writer” and that “language is the tool of my trade” (Tan). By stating that in the first two paragraphs of her article, she is positioning herself as an educated figure who possesses exceptional writing skills in English. This gives the audience the motive to want to listen to her argument as they believe her to be on a reasonable and authoritative standing in society. Her biracial heritage also gives Tan the impression that she has deeper insight in what she is about to contend as literature scholars can view her argument as skeptical and ill-supported.