"When my parents came to the United States in 1987, my father got a job working for Graceland Enterprises and learned English quite well, but my mother not at all. She's in her early 70's now, and even though my own children aren't fluent in Chinese, they have bonded with their grandmother in other ways: through touch, smiles, spending time together, body language. You don't always need to speak to communicate. My children and their cousins may be talking and visiting with each other in English, but when Grandmother comes, they stop, focus on her, and work very hard to use her language, even though it's unfamiliar to them. They love her and she loves them. Our culture is very respectful of our elders, and I am happy to see the next generation carry on that heritage."
Jesse Gan is a past president of the Greater Memphis United Chinese Association.
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