HLC: The Language Journey in All of Us

by Tihaniremaria Quartero

“Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going” – Rita Mae Brown

Language is the primary tool for expression and communication. Through language and
language learning, we can all better understand not only ourselves, but also others. For many of us who also grew up in Hawai’i, it is not uncommon to know someone who is multilingual. Many grew up speaking another language other than English or learned a new language either through school or through classes at school, through bilingual friends, or through personal interest. We all use language as a cultural and social tool in our everyday lives. Whether we realize it or not, we are all on our own language journeys.

I had the opportunity to meet three student interns working with the Hawaiʻi Language
Roadmap (the Roadmap) who were willing to share their own language journeys with me. These interns develop meaningful curriculum and workshops for the Roadmap’s Path-to-Success School Outreach programs. They visit classrooms either in person or virtually, bringing their passion for language and sharing how they have used their language abilities in the community and workforce. Interns spend the sessions leading students in meaningful discussions, covering topics such as multilingualism, language anxiety and multilingual job interviews.

When talking to Amanda Grant, Laridel Basillio, and Janette Lee of the Path-to-Success School Outreach programs, I never expected to find so much of my own journey in theirs.

Amanda Grant:

Amanda is a graduate of the University of Minnesota. There, she began studying Korean
language and, after graduating, even taught English in Jeju-do, South Korea. Amanda is
currently pursuing her Master’s in Korean for Professionals at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She has a great deal of experience using her language skills in both the classroom and the workforce. Her experiences include but are not limited to non-profit work with North Korean defectors, language tutoring, and creating and organizing language events.

When I asked Amanda to describe her language journey, she first mentioned her multicultural roots. Amanda’s mother is from Brazil and her father from Minnesota. Growing up, she didn’t pick up Portuguese from her parents. However, during middle school, she developed an interest in Japanese culture and Korean popular culture. Amanda’s language journey resonated with me. Growing up as a multicultural person, I didn’t pick up any of my heritage languages, but found myself excelling in Japanese language courses.

As our conversation continued however, Amanda shared that working with the Roadmap had allowed her to connect with others with similar stories to hers, just as she did to me. Amanda had shared that a part of her language anxieties is the anxiety of not knowing her heritage language. In that moment I felt very connected with her.
Working with the Roadmap brought on a point of reflection on language anxiety for Amanda. She emphasized that language anxieties are something important and should really be talked about. She described it as a conversation she believed should be incorporated into language teaching and learning.

As we wrapped up our conversation, I asked Amanda what she has learned about her own multilingualism. She replied,

“Whether you learn it on your own or at school, it’s so much more than a skill you’re learning… It’s so multi-dimensional.”

Laridel Basillio:

Laridel was raised in the Philippines and moved to Hawai’i in 2018. Laridel is fluent in Tagalog, Ilokano, and English. He graduated with the Seal of Biliteracy in Tagalog and attended Maui Community College where he studied accounting. When Laridel began his studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, he placed into the 4 th level of Ilokano language classes. Laridel explained that he was able to learn new perspectives through learning Ilokano culture and language. He has experience creating and writing informative newsletters in Ilokano, describing it as an opportunity that allowed him to enhance his writing skills and awareness.

Laridel expressed that he wanted to use his language skills for community service. Through the organization Filcom Cares, he has made flyers and translated questionnaires and guidelines for information on COVID-19.

Laridel’s passions for accounting, language, and serving communities, manifest in the
curriculum he is currently designing. He explained that he wants to promote financial literacy in Ilokano communities; this has led him to create resources and materials in Ilokano that are geared towards that goal. These language resources are valuable tools for self-sustaining community success. He also shared that this semester, he worked on creating a multilingual children’s story that introduces financial concepts.

It is apparent through his extensive language work that Laridel champions his languages and cultures. He is sensitive to the importance of promoting languages and encourages newer generations to continue to learn and speak their native languages. He expressed that his languages are the connection to his parents and to members of the Tagalog and Ilokano speaking communities.

On the topic of language anxieties, Laridel described his anxieties as an English speaker. These anxieties mostly revolve around mispronouncing sounds and letters. However, as he learned, these mix ups are nothing to be ashamed of, and is something that just comes with being a multilingual.

Laridel explained that the Roadmap has revealed to him the “myriad of possibilities of
multilingualism and incorporating it into work”. For Laridel, he is able to combine both
accounting and multilingualism. He emphasizes that accents are nothing to be ashamed of.

“It’s a part of our identities.”

Janette Lee:

Janette is currently pursuing her Master’s in Social Work at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Originally from Los Angeles, She studied cultural anthropology and human rights at University of California San Diego. She works predominantly with Asian and multilingual communities. Janette is fluent in both English and Korean. She holds conversational proficiency in Spanish. Janette grew up surrounded by Spanish speaking communities and even spent a full semester abroad in Madrid. Last year, Janette spent time working at COVID-19 vaccine clinics, serving vulnerable, multilingual communities in her hometown, Los Angeles.

In her work with the Roadmap, Janette emphasized her focus on language access. Despite having no official language, the U.S. is lacking when it comes to providing resources in languages other than English. Through the high school outreach program, Janette covered topics pertaining to championing multilingualism and culture, career options, and addressing cultural conflicts.

When asked to describe her language journey, Janette shared a meaningful learning experience she had on a Navajo reservation. She explained that her time on the reservation was her first experience with Indigenous communities. She noticed that amongst the community, only primarily older people were speaking the Navajo language. Struck by curiosity, she asked why only the adults were speaking the language. The person she asked explained that the younger generations didn’t find speaking Navajo “cool”. Janette explained that this saddened her. The lack of use of language can cause disconnections between generations and with one’s heritage
and eventually lead to languages dying out.

As our conversation continued, it was apparent that conserving languages and cultures is important work to Janette.

I asked Janette to describe what her work with the Roadmap has taught her about her
multilingualism. To that she responded,

“It is as useful as my parents said it was going to be.”

Janette explained that experiences are not one dimensional. She realizes how important the work is. Janette wields her language skills along with the cultures that come with it. During our conversation, it was clear that Janette’s compassion for language and culture go hand in hand, as they should.

“If you don’t have someone to reassure you that your cultures are valuable, then that’s how they get you.”
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Sometimes when you’re looking too closely at something, you miss the bigger picture. That’s how I was left feeling after speaking to Amanda, Laridel, and Janette as they graciously shared their language journeys with me. Moments I had overlooked in my own path and language journey received a second look as I reflected.

Their stories left me feeling a number of things: excited, heard, curious, and most of all,
inspired. Everyone’s stories offered a different background, a different experience, and a different journey. Despite our differences, I found paths I’ve traveled in the stories they had to share. I could relate to Amanda’s exploration of languages outside of her heritage, Laridel’s passion for using language to connect with his community, and Janette’s determination to conserve language and culture. Being able to connect and hear these stories about language and language learning are the very essence of being a language speaker.

My main take away from these conversations was clear as I reflected on the inspiring stories. Multilingualism is more than just a label. Learning and speaking a language are not just decontextualized mechanical activities. Becoming a speaker of a language comes from doing, being, reflecting, inspiring, and imagining. There’s a whole continuum of opportunity that comes from harnessing language, socially and professionally. Knowledge of language opens so many doors.

I’m happy to have been able to meet and speak with Amanda, Laridel, and Janette along my own language journey. Speaking and learning with them have become key moments on my language journey. I hope these journeys inspire others to reflect and think deeply on their own language journey. Language is the roadmap and there are so many places to go.

Check out more stories on the Hawaii Language Champions Blog page.

Author: Tihaniremaria Quartero is a Senior at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa majoring in English. She grew up with a love for multiculturalism and multilingualism, surrounded by friends and family members that spoke many languages other than English. She has spent the last 10 years studying Japanese and hopes to build proficiency in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and Korean. Tihani enjoys travelling and hopes to one day visit South Korea, Aotearoa, and Mo’orea.