Chinese American Educational Research and Development Association
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Educational Research & Development Journal
Vol 12, No 1 (2009)
Becoming Bilingual Chinese Americans: Imagination and Chineseness |
| Yuhshi Lee |
Abstract |
| Globalization is eroding the borders of nation/states as people are able to move across borders and belong in multiple places (Banks, 2004). With the influx of these spaces, language provides the resources needed to access and function within this global arena. As those who are bilingual and biliterate in both their heritage language and English have an advantage in this increasingly global space (Giambo & Szecsi, 2005), there is a great demand for children to be bilingual. Applying the notion of imagined communities (Norton, 2001) and Chineseness (Chen, 2002) to an analysis of two Chinese immigrant families, this study highlights how parents view bilingualism as a valuable resource for their children in the future and thus employ educational strategies as a way to provide them membership in a global community through the learning of both English and Chinese language. |
| Full Text: PDF |
ISSN: 1526-8659