[Assam] Fw: Letter to the Editor.

Thu Jun 12 23:38:34 PDT 2008

Dear Rajen,

In your letter you can also mention the small contribution of FASS in trying
to keep connected with our roots. It is the introduction of the digital
version of the "Nisukoni Geets" in Assamese. As it is on the net it is not
only meant for the USA but also other parts of the world.

The Assamese all over the world celebrate Bihu. It is not only the Assamese
but other Indian communities too celebrate "their festivals". Every
community try to retain their traditions. The Punjabi's celebrate Baisakhi,
The South Indians celebrate Pongal, and the Malayalees celebrate Onam etc.

Greetings,
Wahid

-----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
Van: assam-bounces at assamnet.org [mailto:assam-bounces at assamnet.org] Namens
umesh sharma
Verzonden: vrijdag 13 juni 2008 7:55
Aan: A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the world
Onderwerp: Re: [Assam] Fw: Letter to the Editor.

Punjabi schools and Korean schools exist to teach Punjabi American and
Korean American kids their mother tongue.  So why not Assamese language
classes?

However, extremes can be bad - like Spanish being the only language spoken
in many Mexican American families- to the detriment of English.

Umesh

Rajen & Ajanta Barua <barua25 at hotmail.com> wrote: 
  Dear KJD
  Thanks for the intellectual and timely article on Oxomiya Bhaxa (Assamese
Language) published in the Sentinel. This is an important and sensitive
subject and you have touched some truths. However I find that overall, the
article has given a rather one sided and distorted view of the Assamese in
America, and people in Assam might get the impression that we Assamese in
America donot speak Assamese at all. It is basically to correct this view,
that I have decided to comment on your article.

  First I am glad that you are addressing the 'Assamese language in America'
and not 'Assamese language in Assam'. These are two separate issues. Writing
about the 'demise of Assamese language in America', you are hitting on the
bull's eye and on a real problem. The same is however not true for the
Assamese language in general as many of us like to imagine. The Assamese
language in general will flow as long as the river luit will flow. 

  As you have pointed out like many other languages, the 'Assamese language
in America' will eventually die out. If any one does the numerical analysis,
this is inevitable, and frankly speaking there is no point in being
emotional or critical about it. The Tie Ahoms lost their mother tongue in
Assam the same way.  The issue of inevitability is however not reflected
your article. Rather you are showing as if it is a news for all of us and
especially to the Assamese people back home. 

  That being said, let us not bring death to the 'Assamese language in
America' prematurely. The fact is the Assamese language in America is not
dead yet.  You wrote "....most of the Asomiyas, belonging to the in-between
generation, if not all, do not speak their mother tongue at all."  I am sure
most Assamese in America would not agree with you. In fact, we still have
most Assamese converse in Assamese when we meet together in Assamese parties
and we have many Assamese children who speak fluent Assamese. Not only that,
we have writers and poets in the country who writes in Assamese. Thus your
statement, "The Asomiya language in the USA has already been put to sleep by
the Asomiyas themselves," is a bit exaggeration, highly controversial and
frankly speaking not true.

  Leaving aside the above exaggeration, let us see the reasons cited by you
for the eventual demise of the Assamese language in America.  You wrote, "It
is too facile of an argument, often made by the expatriate Asomiyas, that
teaching children their native language interferes with the English language
development." Frankly speaking, I find this absolutely a wrong assumption. I
donot think there are any such unfortunate and ignorant Assamese in America
(or elsewhere)  who sincerely believe the above outdated theory and that is
why they donot teach Assamese to their children. The actual reason why the
parents donot teach Assamese to their children is plain and simple. We are
too laid back, hobo diok and lazy. At the same time, there are many parents,
like us, who speak to their children in Assamese. Now formal teaching of
Assamese is a different matter altogether which must have to be a community
effort. As communities we are small everywhere and where we can, frankly
 speaking we are lazy and take our usual 'hoobo diok' attitude. It is not
because we Assamese donot have pride in our culture and language, as we have
said. On the other hand, I think we (the NRI Assamese) have too much pride
in the Assamese language and culture. That is why we celebrate Bihu almost
everywhere in the globe now a days. That is why we meet annually in two
places at the same fourth of July every years in America.

  Coming to your concluding remark on teaching Assamese, "One would fall off
the chair to learn that the entire affair is conducted in English! I am at a
loss to understand as to how on earth one can pass one's culture and
heritage on to their progeny by merely holding Bihu function once in a year
without impressing upon their children the importance of learning their own
language which is the essence of any culture." On this I am with you.  I
agree that it seems a bit hypocritical for the Assamese in Houston to debate
in English during the Bihu about the 'demise of the Assamese language in
Assam'. I think it is not only hypocritical bu rather wastage of time. I
would have rather spent the time teaching Assamese to our children, which in
fact I had suggested strongly.  

  Overall I think your article will play very well in Assam where people are
ready to judge the NRIs on wrong assumptions like we the NRIs like to judge
Assam often time on wrong assumptions. I hope we are learning. 

  Incidentally some of us are trying to come up with a scheme to teach basic
Assamese to the children. Please watch out for some good news.

  BTW I will send a verson of this writing to Sentinel so that people in
Assam will not hold to the wrong impression that we donot speak in Assamese
at all. etc

  Thanks
  Rajen Kokaideu

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: kamal deka 
    To: Rajen & Ajanta Barua 
    Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2008 9:04 AM
    Subject: Letter to the Editor.

                                The Demise of Asomiya Language in America 
                                Half of the world's 6,000 languages, as
estimated by the United Nations, will go the way of the dinosaurs in less
than a century. In fact one falls out of use about every two weeks. Usually,
the life of a language comes to an end when the speakers of the language
stop speaking it for any reason. The Asomiya language in the USA has already
been put to sleep by the Asomiyas themselves, which is the product of
parental failure to inculcate a sense of pride in our ancient culture and
language. After all, diet and dialect are perhaps the emblems of any
society. The abdication of the Asomiya parents makes it easy for the Asomiya
children here in America to follow the path of least resistance by imitating
their American peers. The result : most of the Asomiyas, belonging to the
in-between generation, if not all, do not speak their mother tongue at all.
                                It is too facile of an argument, often made
by the expatriate Asomiyas, that teaching children their native language
interferes with the English language development. It would, therefore, be
better to focus on English than teach a language that is going to be of
limited use in this country. This line of reasoning, in my opinion, does not
seem to have two legs to stand for a few simple reasons. 
                                First, research consistently points to the
cognitive and academic advantages of being bilingual, no matter what the
second language is. But the Asomiya parents are not dissuaded by
multilingual pre-schoolers reading earlier and faster than their monolingual
counterparts. The young child's alloplastic mind is fertile ground for a
multitude of ideas. Far from stunting mastery in English, learning another
language enhances a child's ability to learn English by expanding linguistic
structure and syntax. Furthermore, most children passively acquire English
through ubiquitous interactions with teachers and fellow schoolmates at
school, television and on the street. Conversely, they imbibe their native
language only at home. 
                                Secondly, when Americans themselves have
begun to realize that this land is not a melting pot but rather a rich
mosaic, it is ironic that many of us still cling to the archaic philosophy
of Romans in Rome. Thankfully, the Asomiyas here in America do not live in
such a rigid world where they have to choose between extremes. 
                                Thirdly, there is another powerful benefit
that is relevant to our children growing up here and that is in helping them
a strong sense of identity which can help lead to better self-esteem and
self-confidence.
                                The Asomiya diaspora of the USA insists and
claims that the foremost reason of celebrating Bihu is to transmit - and
preserve - our culture to the next generation. One would fall off the chair
to learn that the entire affair is conducted in English! I am at a loss to
understand as to how on earth one can pass one's culture and heritage on to
their progeny by merely holding Bihu function once in a year without
impressing upon their children the importance of learning their own language
which is the essence of any culture.
                                Kamaljit Deka,
                                Sugarland, Texas.

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