1. Language and identity
(II)
Family language
practices, displacement, language and identity of
immigrant kids

2. Overview
Your voices
Guest Speaker: Dr. Hyun- Sook Kang
(introduced by Melinda)
A step from heaven: Class discussion
A Step from heaven: Acting out the characters!
Incorporating Immigrant stories in to classrooms

3. Melissa says
I enjoyed reading this book (A Step from Heaven) so much, not only
does it help me realize the problems of a Korean immigrant living in
the U.S, but also lets me reflect on the fact that I have to realize my
kids can encounter several struggles outside of my classroom, such
as I would not know how their families treat them (only if I would
decide to intrude), the language problems they stumble upon with
Americans when they need to get important documents to follow U.S.
laws, such as speaking with the immigration services, the need for a
better living condition, if they are eating healthy meals outside of
school, or even the cultural shocks they encounter. Every kid brings
their own culture and experiences to the classroom, as a language
teacher, I need to be considerate to every aspect of every child’s life.
This book is so inspirational because it helps me realize the problems
ELL students can encounter outside of the classroom.
I like how the author embraces the Korean language in the book, by
mentioning words such as: Halbugi, Halmoni, Apa and Uhmma, as
well as using Korean and kid language such as when the teacher
says “Tees es Yung”, to picture how the child interprets the English
language in her own words. I also like how the author writes the book
from when the family is in Korea until she reaches college. It will
probably use this book as a source someday.

4. Jasmine says…
Though I do find it interesting that studies have found that
children incorporated more English into their speaking
language regardless of the parent efforts of speaking the
"home language". This is a very similar situation back in my
home between English and Mandarin-Chinese. My siblings
and I would utilize code-switching between these two
languages, using English as our L1, and would produce the
hybrid language of "Chinglish". This combination of two
languages would be spoken to our parents, but sadly
would sometimes be ineffective in communication with my
mother. Even though my mother knows how to speak
English and can communication enough especially at her
part time job, she is just at the point where she is less
insecure about her English. She would rather speak in
Mandarin-Chinese to us and tells us to do the same, to use
less English while talking to her because "we need to
practice".

5. Laura Muro says
Reading the article and seeing the extremity parents
are doing to teach their children their native language
it’s very intriguing. My question is how and what are
their children feeling or thinking when they are going
through this and trying to assimilate in two different
cultures? The article also discussed about the
parents wanting to implement in their children who
they are and where they are coming from by
enforcing to learn their native language.
However, reflecting on their own teaching of their own
language was it difficult for the parents to try to create
this idea of bilingualism in their home, and what were
they struggles trying to do this? Overall, I believe that
it is very important for students to try to keep and
maintain their native language because it identifies
their identity, in which it is very important, but just the
extremities parents have to go through its so
shocking.

6. Brian says
If the Parks had not cloistered themselves away from
their Korean friends, or if they had started to
participate in the Korean church community when
they first entered the US then perhaps Apa would not
have felt such intense pressure to support everything
on his own. Also, if Young Ju’s parents had embraced
other American’s like the Doyle family, perhaps they
would have discovered ways to navigate American
culture more easily. But I do not think the fault lies
completely with the Park parents, for if Young Ju
would have not felt so ashamed of her family’s
difference from American culture perhaps she could
have helped her parents make more
connections, again for example the Doyle family.

7. Amy says
When I was reading the article, I saw many connections with
the book, such as the importance to the parents that the
children are bilingual, yet only speak Korean in the home. We
read about the reasoning behind this as well as saw some
examples in the book: some make the home like a Korean
island in order to preserve tradition and see it as an identity
marker, some moms are homemakers and don't have the
ability to learn as fast and see language as a barrier, and
some see the possibility of returning one day because of
family or economical purposes. No matte what the reasoning
is, we saw similar intervention strategies, such as immediate
feedback (either linguistically or culturally), provision of
definitions, and language mixing. Over all, the article that we
read helped me to see the book I liked so much from the
educational perspective. I loved being able to see both sides
of it. I am hoping that the Dr. Kang will be able to give us
some pointers at how to help parents become less of a
hinderance and more of an advocate for bilingualism and
being culturally appreciative, accepting, and open.

8. Melinda says…
Dr. Kang’s study fits with our reading of this text in that the
participants are Korean-American parents attempting to
maintain the Korean language as a heritage language for
their American-born children. The reasons behind this (or
the motivation) include maintaining a sense of Korean
heritage (traditions), but Dr. Kang mentions also that
economics definitely play a part. If the family determines
that it is economically advantageous to return to Korea (or
if there is an extended family need for them to return), then
it is important that the children are fluent in the heritage
language. Thus, Dr. Kang examines the “family language
policy” of these families (she defines family language policy
as “explicit and implicit planning in relation to acquisition of
language skills in home settings, in contrast to those
espoused by the state or other organizations,”
Kang, 2012). Dr. Kang’s study examined how Korean-
American families “employ language intervention
strategies” to facilitate their children’s bilingual skills.

9. Overview of post-structural
approaches to “identity”
This view rejects the conception of identity as static and recognizes the
centrality of “interaction”, “power dynamics”, and “social activities”.
According to changing social circumstances, identities intersect or
contrast with each other.
Languages are not only markers of identity, but also sites of
resistance, empowerment, solidarity, or discrimination.
Our identities are reflexively organized information about possible ways
of life (how to act and how to be). What a person is understood to be
varies across cultures.
One’s identity is not set and stone; it is not only in the behavior or
people’s reactions, but it’s in the narrative you tell about yourself. It
integrates events which occur in your world—It’s an ongoing story about
“self”.

10. A Step from Heaven (1-60)
What’s the significance of Mi Gook for Young Ju?
(see pages 9-16)
Why do you thin Uhmma attempts to “Americanize
Young Ju? What does “curling her hair” symbolize?
Examine Young Ju’s initial experiences in school.(30-
34)
What are the indications of family’s financial
situation? How is Young Ju reacting to family
violence?
Discuss the universality of the birth of a baby and
analyze Young Ju’s feelings when Apa speaks of his
baby son’s future.

11. A Step from Heaven (50-
90)
Analyze the children’s relationship with their father.
Analyze the episode of Apa’s violence toward Joon (66-
71).
Examine Joon and Young Ju’s experiences with Harry, the
bird. What do you think Harry symbolizes?
Analyze Apa’s reaction when they go to the Department of
Immigration and Naturalization Services. What’s the
consequence of the communication breakdown? How is it
fixed? What are the social repercussions of Young Ju’s
stepping up? What’s the significance and role of “Piano
Fingers” in this episode?
Analyze Young Ju’s statement “ In that moment, when the
papers pass from his hands to mine, our eyes meet and I
know. His will always be a face washed and dressed by
sun” (p. 89)

12. A Step from Heaven (90-
125)
Examine the effects of Halmoni’s death on the family (93-
96)
Discuss the significance of Apa’s violence to Uhmma.
Analyze the symbolism of the picture frame (97-99).
Discuss why Uhmma takes children to church. What are
the effects of community resources such as
churches, Sunday schools on immigrant children?
Why were Uhmma and Apa resisted Young Ju’s intersest in
Amanda’s beach party? What are they afraid of? (110-112)
Examine Apa’s deterioration and the impact of it on the
family.
Discuss the awards’ assembly and its significance. What
are Uhmma’s and Apa’s reactions?

13. A Step from Heaven (125-
end)
Analyze the effects of Apa’s escalating
alcoholism and violence on his family. (125-136)
Examine the cause and effect of Apa’s arrest and
the ensuing events (142-145)
Discuss the changes in the family after Apa
returns to Korea (145-148)
Examine the significance of the title of the
epilogue, “Hands”.

14. For all groups
What are some of the implications of your
readings this week?
How can we make students as researchers of
language, culture and identity in their own
communities? What are the benefits of this?
What are some of the challenges you foresee?

15. Acting out a step from
heaven
Put yourself in one of the character’s shoes. In
fact, be that character, and write his/her stream of
consciousness from that character’s standpoint:
Characters to act out: Young
Ju, Joon, Apa, Uhmma, Amanda, Young Joo’s teacher
Issues:
1) Moving to Mi Gook. Becoming too American. Cultural
Assimilation.
2) Language practices at home and in the community
(The use of English and Korean). Language and
Culture maintenance.
3) What the future will hold for him/her?

16. New Immigrants Share
Their Stories
See the documentary and discuss some of the
benefits of using life stories (life writing/speaking) of
ELLs in the classroom. How would you connect this
documentary to class readings?
http://www.youtube.com/watch
v=33OINi3xVbc&feature=related