Of all the readings in the Language Unit I enjoyed and fully connected with only one: "Why My Mother Can't Speak English" by Gary Engkent. Living in San Francisco I've had the opportunity to experience other ethnic groups, and to see how they adapt to the American (English) society they (and I) now call home.
When I take the bus through San Francisco's Chinatown and see the seniors buying their fresh vegetables I can imagine Gary Engkent's mother fitting right in. This Chinese lady arrived in Canada at age 40, with a five-year-old son, and her good husband put her to work in his restaurant kitchen--16 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week--for 25 years! She obviously worked hard and was probably a law abiding citizen, except she was not a citizen. To gain her Canadian citizenship she was required to complete an interview in English or French. She had neither language. An aged widow, this little lady began a fight for her identity. That's what Citizenship represented and language played a very important role.
English is my first language. All the children in my local schools spoke English, however, there were several different and pronounced accents. Within a 15-mile radius of our town we counted 4 distinct accents. Children who travelled south to school - 12 miles by bus - had a lilting or sing-song accent; those who came from the east had more of a thicker accent. It is strange that in such a small area there were such pronounced accents. It would be like having the Boston accent in Daly City, New York accent in Emeryville and a deep south accent in Sausalito.
In Europe, High School students take at least one other language. I took French and found it valuable when inter-railing around Europe a few summers ago. Even though I am not fluent in French my efforts to communicate using French were appreciated and the Italians, Poles and Swiss I met were I think more ready to assist once they recognized my attempts. Travelers who insist on only speaking English and expect the "natives" to accommodate them don't always find a warm welcome.