[Assam] Fw: Letter to the Editor.

[Ram Sarangapani]

Dear Barua,

Excellent response, I couldn't have said it better. While Assamese NRIs may
have their faults, I cannot imagine that any single one would ever claim the
following: (Color/bold mine).

*" 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."*

IMHO, even if some kharkhowa believes the above, I hope they are not
that naive to declare that to someone else.

I hope the Sentinel publishes your letter so that everyone can get a
balanced view.

--Ram






On 6/13/08, 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.
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>                                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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