This essay was first published in the 2010 edition of Voices and uses MLA documentation.

Note: 普通話, when written in the Roman script, is thus, “pǔtōnghùa” and is a general term for Mandarin Chinese (literally meaning “the common language”). The Chinese in this paper comes from the Cantonese dialect spoken in Southern China, Hong Kong, and Macau. It is also the most commonly spoken dialect in the United States.

CLOUDS ROLLING OFF KOWLOON BAY bend the rays of dawn, and the world is cast in sepia hues of newsprint. Brakes squeal, and the doors of the 3-E towards Sham Shui Po District, one of Hong Kong’s famous double-decker buses, slide open. The driver inclines his head and smiles with amber eyes above his horn-rimmed specs. “Jóu sàhn,” he says in the fluting tones of a Chinese morning greeting.

“Jóu sàhn,” I respond. The polite greeting resounds throughout the city every day, wishing the greeted renewed energy to meet the day. My accent is noticeable, and the driver smiles to see a young white man succeed in his attempt to communicate so common a courtesy. Later, I am in Kwun Tong District complaining emphatically about the cost of bōlòh-bāau (“pineapple bread” – a sweet bun topped with a crumbling layer of crystalized custard) to my friend, who happens to be the owner of the local bakery. This city in the southwest corner of the Middle Kingdom has been my home for nearly two years. I could not call it my home had I not learned to speak their language. Truly, language is deeply connected to our sense of culture and belonging.

Allow me to illustrate. Ji Li-Jun teaches social psychology at Queen’s University in Ontario. He studies the effects of culture on reasoning, perceptions, and behavior. Research by Dr. Ji and his colleagues shows that language is tied to the way people think about the world. It shapes the mind during the early stages of cognitive development and affects thinking patterns throughout life (Ji et al. 58). Not only that but speaking another person’s language changes the way they think and act around you. Would I have made such close friends if I could not exchange banter freely across dialects? Whether I was cursing my roommates about the laahp-saap (“rubbish”) piling up in the sink or teasing my friend about the girl who had just giggled at him for being a leng-jái (“pretty-boy”), it was all because I could speak their language.

Chinese is a powerful language; the mother tongue of over a billion in China and millions more worldwide. It is ancient, the only living language to use pictographs in writing. This antiquity is entwined in the 3000-year lattice of Chinese history that represents a culture as important to the East as Rome was to the West. Indeed, the language has evolved with the culture and is evolving even today. But if one difference can be seen between the present and one hundred years ago, it is that Chinese is increasingly becoming a world language.

As a society that honors the coming together of East and West; North and South; Black, White, and every Tint or Shade beneath the sun, America needs to attend more closely to the ancient yet very much progressive language of Chinese and to the people who speak it. This is especially true for our nation’s educators and students. Let it be marked that the first step should be to learn the language. And may it begin in our schools.

The Tide of Demand Both High and Broad

Sharon Huang of New Jersey is a marketing executive and mother of twin boys. December of 2004 marked the creation of Bilingual Buds, a preschool founded by Ms. Huang primarily to teach her sons Mandarin Chinese. They were her motivation because, without the program, her boys might not have had the chance to learn Chinese while attending public school in the United States: less than 3% of children in the United States are enrolled in Chinese classes as of 2009 (Hu). Natasha Degen, a reporter for the China Daily and frequent adjunct for the New York Times, wrote on the fledgling preschool. It began, she said, in Ms. Huang’s basement with ten students but “has since expanded to 72 pupils and 7 teachers…adding a kindergarten class next fall” (Degen). The demand for foundational Chinese learning is on the rise in New England.

Across the country, Betty Shon heads the Chinese-American International School (CAIS) in San Francisco. CAIS has been operating for over 28 years, and, according to a statement by Shon on the school’s website, it is the first school in the United States proper to focus on the Chinese language and culture (Shon). Since five years ago, the demographics at CAIS have changed dramatically. Previously hosting a nearly exclusive Chinese student body, the school now serves a diverse population; 57% of the students today identify as non-Asian.

CAIS and Bilingual Buds are not alone, nor are they isolated. According to the same article by Ms. Degen, similar private schools have sprung up in Delaware, Michigan, Illinois, and Connecticut. The activity of these schools represents two spreading trends (Degen). First, interest in Chinese is increasing. Bilingual Buds’ enrollment has doubled and re-doubled since its inception. Second, this interest is not bound solely to “heritage-language learners” or those whose ancestors spoke Chinese and may or may not speak it at home.

Sadly, the development of Chinese language programs in our public schools is slack and pending in most areas. Sadly, the development of Chinese language programs in our public schools is slack and pending in most areas. Statistics gathered by Winnie Hu from school districts in New York and New Jersey – states known for their racial diversity and academic prowess; where Chinese classes should be found, if nowhere else – show roughly 3% of public high school students have the opportunity to study Chinese. Spanish and French were taught to 62% and 11% of students, respectively (Hu). Concrete and vivid is the conflict between these statistics and the trend of increasing interest in Chinese.

There is a major deficiency in the United States public education system. But correction of the United States government is not the aim of this paper. Suffice it to say, the deficiency of Chinese education in the U.S. cannot be adequately supplemented at the federal level, nor by the state alone. The remedy pivots on the cooperation of government, individual schools, teachers, and students across the nation. Their objective: to make a deliberate effort to create, encourage, and support the inception of Chinese language programs nationwide.

The Asia Society is among the United States’ leading authorities on Chinese language instruction. For the past two decades, it has acted as the coordination committee for promoting Chinese in America. In a report on “Expanding Chinese Language Capacity in the United States,” the Asia Society set a foundational goal to raise awareness about the Chinese language and increase student enrollment from a national average of 3% to 5% in public high schools by 2015. Their intent is to “build an infrastructure to support a K-16 [Kindergarten to Bachelor’s] pipeline of Chinese-language learners to meet national needs” (Asia Society 4). Such a jump would certainly furnish the U.S. with a handful more skilled Chinese speakers to meet the needs of national security and global relations. But 5% is a mile-post and cannot mark the spot of any satisfactory destination.

Growing up in northern Utah, I had no chance to learn Chinese in school. My whole district taught French, German, and Spanish with a fugitive Japanese program that died soon after my graduation. I had interest and grabbed ahold of Japanese as a happy consolation. But it was not until I traveled to China and worked there that I got to learn this resplendent language. America needs to attend to the Chinese language. Its educators need to employ themselves, conscientiously building Chinese-language programs in public schools. And students need to be aware and voice their concerns when this important subject is lacking in their local districts and schools.

Financial and Social Currents

Some would ask, “Why Chinese?” Building and supplying Chinese programs in public schools will cost time, money, personnel, and a considerable amount of effort on the part of educators and administrators, even if the development is isolated to classes in high schools. Those resources have dozens of possible, important applications. Indeed, there are many things that are worthy of attention in our public schools. Languages alone account for some of the major alternatives to instituting a Chinese curriculum. French, German, and Spanish are traditionally taught in most high schools. Why not teach Arabic, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, or Russian? All of these represent an important constituent to the functioning of students as global citizens. In fact, the US Department of State recognizes these – as well as Chinese – as “critical languages” (CLScholarship.org). Skills in these are considered valuable and needed; the government is willing to pay for students to go abroad to learn them.

Moreover, why not focus on Spanish and create bilingual classrooms with a language that the Modern Language Association (MLA) reports is spoken by over 10% of the US population (MLA.org)? “English as a Second Language” programs might be expanded. Math scores could always be higher, supplemented by more funding for materials and after-school programs. And let us not forget how badly the arts have suffered from the economic downturns of the past decade. When considering the options we must ask: Is this what students really want? Is this what they really need? Quite pointedly we realize that there are far too many good things our schools could accomplish with the resources allotted; our focus must be drawn to those with the most apparent merit.

According to the MLA, as cited above, Chinese is the third most commonly spoken language in the United States, trailing English and Spanish only (MLA.org). It is the national language of over a billion people in China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. Imagine this demographic! The population of the PRC is four times that of the United States (approx. 300 million) with three or four Californias (approx. 30 million) tacked on the side. Additionally, it is spoken by many throughout the Pacific. Should we be persuaded by demographics alone, only Spanish would rival Chinese as a language worth teaching in our public schools; this is because of mere proximity, not force of numbers.

Money speaks with equal volume. Trade between China and the United States grossed $400 billion in the fiscal year of 2008 according to the Foreign Trade Division of the U.S. Census Bureau (Census.gov). But as the saying goes, “What does this have to do with the price of rice in China?” Indeed, the financial intercourse pulsing between the English- and Chinese-speaking worlds is tempting, but why should that mean Americans need to learn Chinese? Trade seems to be going just fine with everything conducted in English. Yet parents fight for their children’s opportunity to learn. Judith Carlson of New Jersey pays more than $400 a month to send her daughter to Bilingual Buds (Degen). Business leaders seem to share the parents’ intuition when they employ Chinese speakers while doing business in China. But why?

On closer inspection of the Census Bureau’s report, it is apparent that over 75% of the revenue is made by importing Chinese goods to the United States (Census.gov). That means that the majority of U.S. trade with China involves “us” buying from “them.” Like my bartering over sweet buns in a bakery, Chinese business culture centers around the talk of the trade. Therefore, knowing how to talk (especially when a translator is nowhere in sight) is paramount.

During my stay in Hong Kong, I worked in an office, a branch that dealt with the real-estate. I often accompanied my good friend Wesley Wong, our housing agent, to settle negotiations for new contracts. As with American business culture, the Chinese wine-and-dine to secure trade and foster good relationships in that trade. Many times the finer points of a deal were settled during a light conversation over dim-sum (“steamed, stuffed dumplings”) and tea. Knowing the language is the ticket to privilege and trust when working in China.

Population, dollars, and experience say Chinese is a powerful language. It carries weight on a financial and social spectrum to rival any modern lingual demographic. Population, dollars, and experience say Chinese is a powerful language. It carries weight on a financial and social spectrum to rival any modern lingual demographic. While it does not stand alone in the sea of issues public schools could pursue, it does raise its head significantly higher than many of its alternatives. Chinese will be required for excellence in the near future, both nationally and individually, whether we are prepared or not.

Communication. Trust. Power.

China is rich in culture and opportunities. During a business dinner, I was lucky to be seated with the CEO of a home-furnishing supply company. Our conversation was agreeable, but nothing fantastic… until I spoke to him in Chinese. After a brief moment of surprise, we began conversing quite fluidly in a flurried mix of Chinese and English. Before long he was discoursing on business strategy and how he climbed to the top. Surely such a display of trust and interest cannot be under-appreciated. Knowing Chinese put me in the confidence of a very rich and, as it turned out, very jovial and generous man. Not only did he tell me how to start an international trading firm from scratch, he paid for dinner.

Opportunities like mine are not uncommon. As the United States‘ relationship with China grows, these opportunities will only become more frequent and potent. Chinese is a major global language of increasing importance. It is an ancient and beautiful language spoken by an astounding number of people in China, the United States, and abroad. The range of opportunities for those empowered to speak is broad and deep. As evidence of these two facts, proactive parents of the rising generation are taking great pains to find instruction for their children. Chinese will be required for highly successful individuals in the near future. But the question is when the time comes, will you be able to sport the bumper sticker: “My Kids Can 普通話 … Can Yours?”

Works Cited

Asia Society. Expanding Chinese-Language Capacity in the United States. New York: Asia Society, 2005. 1-24. Print.

“CLS Home.” CLScholarship.org. 2009. United States Department of State, Web. 26 Oct 2009. <https://clscholarship.org/home.php>.

Degen, Natasha. “Non-Asians Show a Growing Interest in Chinese Courses.” New York Times 29 Nov. 2006, San Francisco. Web.

“Foreign Trade Statistics.” Census.gov. 2009. U.S. Census Bureau, Web. 26 Oct 2009 <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5700.html#2009>.

Hu, Winnie. “Foreign Languages Fall as Schools Look for Cuts.” New York Times 11 Sep. 2009, Web.

Ji, Li-Jun, Zhiyong Zhang, and Richard E. Nisbett. “Is It Culture or Is It Language? Examination of Language Effects in Cross-Cultural research on Categorization.” Journal of Personality & Social Psychology. 87.1
(2004): 57-65. Print.

“MLA Language Map.” MLA.org. 2009. Modern Language Association, Web. 26 Oct 2009. <http://www.mla.org/census_main>.

Shon, Betty. “From the Head of School.” CAIS.org. 2009. Chinese American International School, Web. 24 Oct 2009. <http://www.cais.org/en/about/welcome-head-school>