PAASSC Founder goes International

Well…

The video below was really recorded before PAASSC was founded (this picture is years before PAASSC also) and I was only interviewed as a parent but it is my television debut as an advocate for Mandarin Immersion programs.

Disclaimer: I am posting this although I am not sure that I agree with the position and general sentiment of the interviewer. This documentary highlights the “shattered dreams” of Americans following the attacks on September 11th and comes to California specifically to see where we are headed in light of our continued economic problems as a state and a nation. I was slightly aware of the interviewers position on this matter but hoped that I would be available to represent the school that my daughter attends and our desires to pursue a language immersion program for our children to a larger audience.

Although this didn’t come across in the interview I want to share why we are raising our daughters to speak Mandarin.

The Decision:

Our initial decision had nothing at all to do with our daughters. We actually made that decision before they were even born. Six years later I signed our three year old up for New Sprouts Chinese School. We participated one 16-week session and then we moved on to a dance class. It was my daughter that kept asking to go back to “Chinese School”. As a parent I have a number of reasons why I think my daughters should learn Mandarin but the reason we are committed to raising bilingual children that speak Chinese is because both girls LOVE the language so much.

Sure, China is predicted to be the super power in 2030 and that sounds like a great reason to raise bilingual children. But this is a blog for parents raising Black children and we all know that there are many more factors that we have to consider when selecting a school for our children. There are strengths and limitations in Chinese Immersion programs for African American children. As parents of Black children we have to continue to engage the school’s administrators, teachers and other parents to ensure that our child is receiving the best experience possible. So while there are numerous benefits to raising bilingual children my daughters are being raised bilingual because they love the language. My daughters leave for school with smiles and return home with smiles and giggles. The site of a butterfly sends them into song (Chinese songs of course). That’s why my children are learning Chinese – because they love Mandarin.

My oldest daughter is the cute little girl in the purple that is super enthusiastic about singing her songs during circle time. (The interview at Shu Ren International School – begins at 25:36).

2nd Disclaimer: The interview was approximately 30 minutes and they have captured less than 3 minutes of our conversation on film so there was a lot that was left out and some editing to highlight their intended focus but the overall presentation of my statements is fair. During my interview I repeated that our pursuit for a Chinese Immersion program was more involved in our daughter’s love for languages and Mandarin specifically than the state of the Chinese economy although they seemed to only use statements I made that referenced China. I guess it took them 30 minutes of videotaping to get me to say what the wanted LOL. I tried.

Sasha Practices Chinese With Hu Jintao

During Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit in January of 2011 the First Family engaged in a variety of events encouraging American’s to learn Chinese and participate in various exchange opportunities with China. I enjoyed two great events that were highlighted in the media.

Importance of Studying Abroad (repost from ahachinese) :

On January 21, 2011, the day President Hu Jintao visited the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama spoke at Howard University on the importance of cross-cultural exchange. She and the university were joined by students and educators from Asia Society’s Confucius Classrooms Network. [Read More …]

Sasha’s Learning Mandarin too:

Obama was one of the many words my oldest daughter was speaking at the precious age of two. She could identify Obama on the television and in newspaper articles. I am in awe of the world that she will embrace with the history of having had a Black President. Additionally, it has been wonderful to watch Sasha and Malia growing up in the White House. Therefore, I was also pleased to learn that young Sasha at 9 years of age is also learning Mandarin. This was highlighted during the Chinese President’s visit to the White House where she was actually able to speak with him in Chinese.

“Not every [child] has the opportunity to try out their first phrases of Chinese with the president of China, but she had that chance,” Ben Rhodes, a White House deputy national security adviser, told a video conference with Chinese bloggers. “She’s under 10 years old and they’re [her classmates] studying Chinese, and she wanted to have the chance to practice her Chinese with President Hu.”

Giveaway: Ringling Brothers Tickets

We are excited to post our first giveaway. We have limited Ringling Brothers Tickets to interested families. The tickets provide General Admittance for any scheduled Thursday, Friday or Monday performance (including Labor Day) at the Cow Palace (9/1 – 9/5) and the Oracle Arena (9/08 – 9/11).

How to win: 1) subscribe to our newsletter or 2) like us on facebook and you will be automatically qualified to receive a free tickets for your family. This will be distributed on a first come first serve basis so please contact us right away. Confirmations will be sent out by 8 am each morning until all of the tickets have been distributed.

Film Screening: Speaking In Tongues

Join us on Monday, August 29th at Yu Ming Charter School (6:30 – 8:30 pm) for the screening of an incredible documentary – Speaking in Tongues.

This amazing documentary follows four diverse kids in the Bay Area on a journey to become bilingual. This charming story will challenge you to rethink the skills that Americans need to succeed in the 21st century and help to answer many questions that you may have about pursuing a bilingual education for your child.

Location: Yu Ming Charter School (321 10th Street, Oakland, CA)

View the trailer and share this exciting event with your friends. A panel discussion will follow the event. Guest speakers will include the Director, Marcia Jarmel; Principal Laura Ross; and Parent, Ijnanya Foster. Limited Child Care available. RSVP at info@paassc.com.

This event is co-sponsored by Yu Ming Charter School.

Beyond Stereotypes…

Chimamanda Adichie is an incredible woman and author. I am compelled to share the video below as she has poignantly discussed what she has coined the “danger of a single story”. In the video below Ms. Adichie states:

The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story…The consequence of a single story is this: it robs people of dignity. It makes our recognition of a single humanity difficult… Stories matter. Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign, but stories can also be used to empower and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people but stories can also repair that broken dignity.

Michel Foucault simply states “if you only ever decide to watch one video in order to understand the global imbalance of news and the skewed and incredibly simplified perception of the perceived ‘other’ make sure it is this one.”

PAASSC will continue to 1) provide support for African American children in their journey as they learn and embrace the Chinese culture and 2) increase the awareness of non-native Chinese speakers of the benefits of a bilingual education. Our goal is to continue to build bridges as we move away from sharing a single story.

Encores and Standing Ovations

Numerous articles featuring Tyler Thompson can be found on the internet following his recent performance at the gala fundraising dinner of the Purple Silk Music Education Foundation. Local and mainstream media are highlighting the great talent of a young African American teen and Oakland native who displays great skill in the art of Chinese Opera.

Tyler began singing for the Purple Bamboo Orchestra while attending Lincoln Elementary School. According to his teacher, Sherlyn Chew, he began learning children’s songs as his range, proficiency and fluency progressed. According to SF Gate, his first solo was at the San Francisco Davies Symphony Hall and Herbst Theater at the age of 6. He has also performed on television shows such as “Good Morning America” and at the U.S. State Department, where he sang for then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi. One performance was at HP Pavilion in Silicon Valley in front of 13,000 people. A video of that performance has been played in China and seen by countless millions.

According to the Los Angeles Times, his mother, Vanessa Ladson, said she chose Lincoln because of its high academic standards, as well as its proximity to her job at a utility company. She also stated for the Chronicle that Tyler gets his musical gifts from his grandmother, Addie Thompson, who sings, and his father, who is a percussionist. When asked how she felt about Tyler singing Chinese opera she stated that “Music is universal.” “It has no borders, no barriers.”

The Chronicle also highlighted that one of the featured speakers was Aisha McDaniel, a member of the first Purple Bamboo Orchestra in the mid-1990s, when she was about 11 years old. Now she is 24 and she spoke fluent Mandarin as part of her presentation.

Culture