The Girl Who Wouldn't Sing - Week 2

The Girl Who Wouldn't Sing  was a really great read. I enjoyed reading about Kit Yuen Quan and her struggles. When I first started reading it, it made me think a lot about my mother, and how she also struggled when she came to the United States. I was able to picture Kit as a child and envision her in school because I've seen students with that same fear, and how they hide and protect themselves because of fear of rejection or children making fun of them. I've seen other children pick on those struggling student's especially those who do not speak English because they are "easy targets." Seeing how Kit "rebelled," and came out to her parents with her sexuality, and moved out as a teen made me believe that she was looking to find herself. 
 I was a bit surprised to see that Chinese became her second language, meaning that she was as fluent as when she was a child. She felt a thrill when she was able to recognize a character from a restaurant or a store, and seeing her engage with the children from her story bringing her back to her childhood was something that enlightened her and made her realize who she really is, and understand her past better. 
There are so many people that come to this country who struggle and sometimes because of hardships and abuse from others become embarrassed of their culture and language. I see it with certain family members in my family who are embarrassed to speak Spanish and do not teach their children Spanish because they feel "embarrassed" of their heritage. I honestly never really understood that, but now I see things with an open mind, and knowing their struggles they fear that their children will struggle or be made fun of as they did coming to this country.
It's unfortunate that so many people fear rejection, and being made fun of or ridiculed. We live in a country with so much diversity and it's so rich in culture, people should better understand families and students who come to this country and immerse themselves in a new culture and language. 

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