Premium
M ultilingualism in P ost ‐9/11 U.S. S chools : I mplications for E ngaging E mpire
Author(s) -
Wong Shelley,
Motha Suhanthie
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
peace and change
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1468-0130
pISSN - 0149-0508
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-0130.2007.00409.x
Subject(s) - xenophobia , solidarity , multilingualism , power (physics) , active listening , sociology , linguistics , political science , gender studies , pedagogy , communication , racism , law , philosophy , physics , quantum mechanics , politics
In this article we draw on our family histories of language loss to stimulate public discussion of the consequences of linguistic attrition for public school students in the United States. Our concerns for multilingualism, antiracism, and peace—and the salient connections among these three—are rooted in our lived experiences. Through an exploration of our family histories, we examine the ways in which empire and language identity can interact to shape decisions made by individual speakers of minority languages. We argue that multilingualism is a valuable resource for countering xenophobia, and that the teaching of foreign and world languages adds an important dimension to engaging empire, promoting peace and solidarity, and ultimately redefining what is legitimately “American.” We call attention to the potential power of well‐designed educational policies to support heritage language maintenance, to promote language rights, and to respond to dangers posed by the disproportionate power accorded to English.