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The Future of Our Mother Tongues: Roundtable Discussion
August 24, 2019 @ 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Illustration by Vivian Tong, 2019
Early immigrants from China arrived primarily from the Guangdong province, speaking dialects of Cantonese and Toisanese. However, after 1965, a new wave of Chinese immigration arrived—bringing Mandarin to the United States. US News reports that with Chinese proficiency, American students will be able to enhance economic relations—a $110 billion export industry. In recent years, China’s growing power in global politics has forced us to reevaluate our understanding of bilingual education, and what it means to teach Chinese in our educational system.
Our panel, moderated by University of San Francisco linguistics professor Genevieve Leung, includes an esteemed group of educators and activists: Kathy (Qianfan) Yang, Calvin Leung, Adam Ross, Katie Quan, and Victor Tam. We will discuss the historical significance of Cantonese in San Francisco, the need for Mandarin in today’s economy, and the future of Chinese American education.
Tickets include entry to event and CHSA galleries. Seating is limited—Please reserve your tickets soon. RSVP on Eventbrite.com.
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Presenters
(bios coming soon)
Genevieve Leung (moderator)
Kathy (Qianfan) Yang
Calvin Leung
Adam Ross
Katie Quan
Victor Tam
Co-presented by What’s in a Word, a community collective dedicated to bilingual education.