• About
  • Events
  • Community Calendar
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Seattle Chinese Post

Northwest Asian Weekly

ad_wong.jpg (468×60)

  • Community
    • Names in the News
    • Local
    • Business
    • Pictorials
    • Obituaries
  • Nation
  • World
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Columns
    • On the Shelf
    • At the Movies
    • A-POP!
    • Publisher Ng’s blog
    • The Layup Drill
    • Travel
    • Wayne’s Worlds
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentary
    • Publisher Ng’s blog
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Astrology
  • Classifieds
  • Community Calendar
You are here: Home / Opinion / Letters to the Editor / Letter: Dumbfounded by ‘Speak English, not Chinese!’ blog

Letter: Dumbfounded by ‘Speak English, not Chinese!’ blog

March 17, 2011 By Northwest Asian Weekly

To the Editor:

I, for one, was dumbfounded to have read in heavy print, NW Asian Weekly Publisher’s blog, “Please Speak English, Not Chinese!” (in last week’s March 12–18 issue).

Indeed, all Washingtonians, especially Chinese, are rejoicing to have President Obama nominating a 100 percent Chinese-blooded ABC (America Born Chinese) to be the next ambassador to China next month, pending approval. However, Mr. Locke not being able to speak Chinese is a lament. …

[These days,] the Department of Defense, Education, State Department, and Central Intelligence Agency all are crying for second language globalization. [Knowing] English only, without a second or third language, will not prepare our younger generation to become world competitors.

Thus, to have readers to find, in the last paragraph in the publisher’s blog, [stating that Locke’s inability to speak Mandarin is actually a strength] is absolutely not in line with a publication that promotes Asian culture and understanding.

I strongly believe the opposite. [I believe] Gary and Mona Locke will soon pick up private tutorship in Chinese conversation, followed by Chinese reading and writing.

Speaking English, not Chinese, can be their guarded regret [instead].

— Maria L. Koh, Seattle

Share:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Letters to the Editor Tagged With: 2011, Central Intelligence Agency, China, Chinese, Education, Mona Locke, Please Speak English, President Obama, Seattle, Speaking English, State Department, Vol 30 No 12 | March 19 - March 25, blog, language

Subscribe to our e-news

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
© 2022 NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
412 MAYNARD AVE. S., SEATTLE, WA 98104
206-223-5559 | INFO@NWASIANWEEKLY.COM