Mother Tounger

Mother Tongue; One language two views
Have you ever been disrespected by someone you pay for your medical records? Not many people have, but some like Amy Tan’s mother in “Mother Tongue” has for simply speaking “broken” English. Amy Tan was born and raised in California, but her parents came to America during the Chinese industrial evolution. Tan explains her mother’s English and how it has affected them negatively. The article focuses on the hardships and racism Tan and her mother faced. Throughout Tan’s life her mother has been disrespected and treated rudely for having “broken” English. She is able to use rhetorical strategies to make her argument, mostly Pathos, while also subtly criticizing the unwelcoming culture of America. Tan tells us about the different English’s she uses according to the company who she is with and their needs.   The story is directed at people who are ignorant of the hardships people living in America and the struggles and disrespect they face for speaking broken English. It may also be directed at people who have immigrant parents and have had to help them in and take care of them. The purpose was to bring attention to the difficulty Tan’s mother had to go through that would of otherwise been very easy had she spoken English fluently.   She wants to bring attention to discrimination that people face from other countries and how it is never easy. Amy argues that living in a place of foreign languages has caused discomfort and disrespect, and gives us personal experiences that often relate with rhetorical strategies. She loses credibility by making broad assumptions that this happens to all Asian Americans and not including any experiences other than her own.
Tan excelled in relating to the readers with pathos, she was constantly able to make one feel bad and disliking for those who disrespected her mother. Beginning in a new place is a completely different experience than many know and it helps one develop in many ways, whether it is...