Racist and Biased Treatments in Mother Tongue by Amy Tan
As children, we were subjected to different degrees of racism, prejudice, and stereotypes that existed before we were even born. As we grow up and mature, these pervasive ideas continue to wander around in our society, attacking one group after another. Likewise, in the essay “Mother Tongue” (1993), Amy Tan recalls several racist and biased treatments that her mother had experienced because her mother speaks “broken” or “fractured” English (419). Tan also describes the value of such language that Americans tend to undermine and ridicule. By extension, Tan justifies the value of the entire Chinese English population that also speaks “limited” English and attempts to change American public’s reaction and treatment towards the Chinese English speakers.
In her first recall, Tan differentiates the English she uses in her profession with the English she uses with her family. Both types of English are effective forms of communication. The only difference is the person or people being addressed. Tan transitions “broken” English to the “language of intimacy” that people only in the close family circle can understand easily (418). Although this language may not always be so impressive in content, phonetics, or grammar, this language is rich in meaning. However, Americans or outsiders view this type of language as poor because they are not in this connected circle and thus, cannot or choose not to appreciate the level of intimacy in it. What Americans fail to realize is that they have also used this language of intimacy when communicating to babies in series of gurgles, cooing, and indistinguishable noises.
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The caregiver and the baby feels the deep love and connectedness through the use of “limited” vocabulary which is very much similar to the “limited” English that Tan communicates with her mother. The value of such English carries love, warmth, mutual understanding, and interconnectedness. The value should not be undermined just because it lacks “wholeness” or “soundness” (419). And more importantly, the speaker should not be disrespected because the limited English does not correlate with the quality of her thoughts and intelligence. Although Americans may not necessarily understand the Chinese English speaking, they should at the very least understand the value of such language and such speakers.
In her next recall, Tan differentiates the response her mother receives from Americans with the response she receives from Americans. Her mother is very well aware of how Americans perceive her speaking, so she used her best grammatically correct English to make a complaint about her lost CAT scan. However, the hospital staff showed no sympathy. On the other hand, when Tan spoke to the doctor, she received “assurances the CAT scan would be found, promises that a conference call on Monday would be held, and apologies for any sufferings [her] mother had gone through for a most regrettable mistake” (420).
Tan reveals that the “wholeness” of English is so powerful that it can change other people’s perception of your capabilities, thus affecting the overall outcome (419). Tan also points out that she and her mother belong in a different speech community that Americans would not understand. Even though her mother’s language is not perfect to Americans, it is still “vivid, direct, full of observation and imagery,” proving that her ideas and content are very rich (419). Therefore, Tan argues for American’s complete acceptance of different speech communities.
Through her essay “Mother Tongue,” Amy Tan reveals several incidences where her mother’s English limited her presence in the American society. However, the language that others view as poor is actually an “expressive command” (419). Although Tan only shares some of the racist and prejudiced incidences that her mother experienced, many Asian Americans can relate to these experiences. Thus, Tan is not only advocating for her mother’s rights, but the rights of the entire Asian American population. That population may belong in a different speech community, but the speech carries just as much meaning, depth, and insight as the American speech community. Therefore, Americans should not undermine the value of the speech or the people, but appreciate it and accept it fully.
Racist and Biased Treatments in Mother Tongue by Amy Tan. (2023, Mar 11). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/racist-and-biased-treatments-in-mother-tongue-by-amy-tan/Cite this Page
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