[Assam] Fw: Letter to the Editor.

[mc mahant]

<'Expectation is the mother of all disappointments'.( maybe also Unhappiness)
And <'alaaxot  saang-pota kotha'> ( daydreaming).You   meant akaaxot
mm> Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:01:32 -0500> To: assam at assamnet.org> From: cmahanta at charter.net> Subject: Re: [Assam] Fw: Letter to the Editor.> > > I am also curious about the PREMISE of KJD's letter:> > > The Asomiya language in the USA has already been put to sleep by > >the Asomiyas themselves> > > *** First off, how can a language die in a particular locale, when it > did not even LIVE there?> > When did the Oxomiya language take root in US shores? It is a > preposterous proposition. Surely a minuscule number of immigrants > spread out over a continent three times the land mass of India, > speaking the language at home or friends with infrequent contact > could not possibly establish a language that could be even remotely > considered a living one.> > > *** KJD make some good points, like the amusing spectacle of > conducting a debate about the health of Oxomiya language in the USA > in English, or conducting an entire Oxomiya bor-xobaah in English. > But then again it only reaffirms the logistical challenges of > communicating in a language that has NOT even taken hold. A sizable > segment of the next generation of Oxomiya immigrants would not > understand what is going on, if conducted entirely in Oxomiya.> > One can therefore beat up on the parents who failed to teach their > progeny their ancestral language. But that is NOT going to change > anything, other than perhaps give some dubious satisfaction of > venting personal dislikes or assertion of self-righteousness.> > *** But I would not despair. There will always be those who are > interested and have the ability to learn the language of their > forebears. And they will keep the Oxomiya language in the USA, in > formaldehyde like a specimen in a museum, caught in a time-warp, > speaking a language that has been long forsaken by the Oxomiyas > themselves as they march on the highway of evolution. It has no > chance of being anything else. To expect otherwise will be 'alaaxot > saang-pota kotha' ( daydreaming).> > > *** Finally, KJD's disappointments in this matter is a result of > unrealistic expectations. As the sixth principle of happiness in the > MSBSP Book of Wisdoms says 'Expectation is the mother of all > disappointments'.> > > Your What-Me-Worry Kharkhowa Compatriot,> > cm> > > > > > > > > > > > At 12:48 AM -0500 6/13/08, Rajen & Ajanta Barua 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.> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >> >> > The information contained in this e-mail is intended only > >for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed.> > Its contents (including any attachments) may contain > >confidential and/or privileged information.> > If you are not an intended recipient you must not use, > >disclose, disseminate, copy or print its contents.> > If you receive this e-mail in error, please notify the > >sender by reply e-mail and delete and destroy the message.> > > >> >_______________________________________________> >assam mailing list> >assam at assamnet.org> >http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org> > > _______________________________________________> assam mailing list> assam at assamnet.org> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
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