What Privilege?
The nice thing about living in our town is that we have a diverse community of rather interesting people. The next block down our street lives a couple that both teach at American University. The husband specializes in Peruvian movies; the wife teaches English and English writing.
One day, Angela showed me a documentary about code switching. It is as if the documentary being based in Hong Kong is not enough fun: part of it was shot at City University of Hong Kong -- my alma mater, another part of it was shot at the University of Hong Kong where I used to work! What are the odds???
Code switching is a linguistic term that refers to the practice of alternating between two or more languages in conversation. In this former British colony, mixing English and Chinese in our daily conversation is not only normal, it is almost essential. Being there, doing it like everybody else, I never even blinked an eye. Now that I am removed from that environment, watching the documentary just makes me laugh.
The documentary started with the film crew grabbing students on a college campus to ask them to translate a simple English sentence into Chinese: "I need to present a project tomorrow." Everybody did okay until they came to the word "project". Given their education, students understand the word "project" conceptually. However, Chinese and English words do not necessarily encapsulate the exact same sets of concepts. Like with this versatile word -- "project", there is no real Chinese counterpart to it. The Chinese translation for the same word varies a lot depending on context. People get stuck, not knowing which direction to interpret the word without context.
Watching the documentary with a Hong Kong native gave Angela extra insight on the phenomenon. She decided to show the documentary in class. As an added bonus for students, I was invited to be the special guest to talk to them after the viewing.
Angela's class was mostly US Caucasian students who have never lived abroad. They seemed entertained by the documentary and the issues it brought up. After the video show, Angela asked, "If you could ask someone from Hong Kong a question, what would it be?" Students were given a few minutes for discussion. Then, Angela opened the door to let me in, "You have your questions ready? Here, you may ask Meipo who is from Hong Kong!" Students laughed hysterically out of surprise.
Students asked mostly questions on why we code switch and how. I gave them numerous weird examples that made them laugh. I have suspicions that these young people do not speak a second language and they have never traveled to a non-English-speaking country.
To bring up a point, I asked them if they travel to Hong Kong and they need directions, what would they do? Very matter of fact, a young man said, "Excuse me, can you tell me how to go to this place, please?" "In English?" I asked. "Yeah, of course!" he responded.
"Of course?! I am from Hong Kong. I come to DC and I need directions. What would you say if I come to you and ask 唔好意思，請問點樣去呢個地方呀？" The students were dumbstruck when they heard me speak Cantonese to them. Someone in the back shouted out,"What are you saying? Are you crazy?"
I smiled and turned to ask him, "Isn't that interesting? For you to go to Hong Kong -- a Chinese-speaking territory -- to ask a local for directions in English, it is normal. For me to ask you for directions in Chinese here in DC, I am crazy. Why? What is so different about our actions?"
The vivacious group suddenly went quiet. Most students fell into deep contemplation, . . . except one. The young man called me crazy would not rest his case. "Hong Kong was a British colony. People there are supposed to be bilingual. English is an international language. I have all the right to use English there to ask for directions!"
Before I could react to it, other students already chimed in: "It is not about whether you have the right or not. It is about why such a different response given a similar situation!" "We are having major double standard here." "If she is expected to speak English here, why shouldn't we try to speak Chinese in Hong Kong? It is a good question."
To give them something extra to think about, I told them, "If you ask a Hong Kong person for directions in English, even if he does not speak much English, he would still try his best to help in your language. And then he would feel bad and apologize for his poor English." I paused to look around the room. "Why? Why should he? He is Chinese and he is in Hong Kong. You ever feel bad in the US about not speaking Chinese? Spanish? French?"
Cricket. Cricket.
One day, Angela showed me a documentary about code switching. It is as if the documentary being based in Hong Kong is not enough fun: part of it was shot at City University of Hong Kong -- my alma mater, another part of it was shot at the University of Hong Kong where I used to work! What are the odds???
Code switching is a linguistic term that refers to the practice of alternating between two or more languages in conversation. In this former British colony, mixing English and Chinese in our daily conversation is not only normal, it is almost essential. Being there, doing it like everybody else, I never even blinked an eye. Now that I am removed from that environment, watching the documentary just makes me laugh.
The documentary started with the film crew grabbing students on a college campus to ask them to translate a simple English sentence into Chinese: "I need to present a project tomorrow." Everybody did okay until they came to the word "project". Given their education, students understand the word "project" conceptually. However, Chinese and English words do not necessarily encapsulate the exact same sets of concepts. Like with this versatile word -- "project", there is no real Chinese counterpart to it. The Chinese translation for the same word varies a lot depending on context. People get stuck, not knowing which direction to interpret the word without context.
Watching the documentary with a Hong Kong native gave Angela extra insight on the phenomenon. She decided to show the documentary in class. As an added bonus for students, I was invited to be the special guest to talk to them after the viewing.
Angela's class was mostly US Caucasian students who have never lived abroad. They seemed entertained by the documentary and the issues it brought up. After the video show, Angela asked, "If you could ask someone from Hong Kong a question, what would it be?" Students were given a few minutes for discussion. Then, Angela opened the door to let me in, "You have your questions ready? Here, you may ask Meipo who is from Hong Kong!" Students laughed hysterically out of surprise.
Students asked mostly questions on why we code switch and how. I gave them numerous weird examples that made them laugh. I have suspicions that these young people do not speak a second language and they have never traveled to a non-English-speaking country.
To bring up a point, I asked them if they travel to Hong Kong and they need directions, what would they do? Very matter of fact, a young man said, "Excuse me, can you tell me how to go to this place, please?" "In English?" I asked. "Yeah, of course!" he responded.
"Of course?! I am from Hong Kong. I come to DC and I need directions. What would you say if I come to you and ask 唔好意思，請問點樣去呢個地方呀？" The students were dumbstruck when they heard me speak Cantonese to them. Someone in the back shouted out,"What are you saying? Are you crazy?"
I smiled and turned to ask him, "Isn't that interesting? For you to go to Hong Kong -- a Chinese-speaking territory -- to ask a local for directions in English, it is normal. For me to ask you for directions in Chinese here in DC, I am crazy. Why? What is so different about our actions?"
The vivacious group suddenly went quiet. Most students fell into deep contemplation, . . . except one. The young man called me crazy would not rest his case. "Hong Kong was a British colony. People there are supposed to be bilingual. English is an international language. I have all the right to use English there to ask for directions!"
Before I could react to it, other students already chimed in: "It is not about whether you have the right or not. It is about why such a different response given a similar situation!" "We are having major double standard here." "If she is expected to speak English here, why shouldn't we try to speak Chinese in Hong Kong? It is a good question."
To give them something extra to think about, I told them, "If you ask a Hong Kong person for directions in English, even if he does not speak much English, he would still try his best to help in your language. And then he would feel bad and apologize for his poor English." I paused to look around the room. "Why? Why should he? He is Chinese and he is in Hong Kong. You ever feel bad in the US about not speaking Chinese? Spanish? French?"
Cricket. Cricket.
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