Hello Language Lovers! Thank you for joining me for this episode of Speaking Tongues- the podcast in conversation with multilinguals. This week, we are having a deep and impactful  conversation about Taiwanese language, heritage, culture and identity with Erica of Kuishimbo and the World Languages Project. 

What I love about this conversation is not only the way Erica tells a story, but also that we are taking a closer look at how language, the loss and gain of it, the way it’s used and weaponized, even criminalized can have lasting effects on generations of families in society. Erica talks to us about growing up in California of mixed Asian heritage and experiencing proximity to her parents’ languages. She talks to us about the disconnection she felt from her ancestry at times and some of the steps and practices she put in place to reestablish that connection. She talks about learning Taiwanese and how she’s been able to learn while she has been living in Taiwan for the past few years. I just want to give you all fair warning, there is a fair amount of discussion around trauma, both racial and generational, so if this is something that you’re also working through, I want you to be warned before you listen. 

Thank you to Erica for being so candid and so open in talking about not just your journey but also sharing your Taiwanese heritage and language with all of us.  If you enjoy episodes of Speaking Tongues, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the Speaking Tongues Podcast on Apple Podcasts and like and subscribe on YouTube so that other language lovers like ourselves can find the show! If you’ve been a long time listener of the show or a recent listener, you can now pledge ongoing support for the show on Buy Me a Coffee dot com or on Patreon dot com. Special shout out to Speaking Tongues’ recent supporters and Patrons Heidi L., Linnea H. , Pat N. and Yari A. For just $5 per month, you will have access to excerpts of this conversation that did not make it to the full published episode.  And as you know, I wrote a book! My food ‘zine of international language and cuisine, Taste Buds Vol 1. is available now for purchase! Check social media for the sneak peek inside of the book and make sure you purchase for yourself and your friends! Links to all platforms are below!

To Find Erica:

IG https://www.instagram.com/kuishimbomedia/ 

Website:https://kuishimbomedia.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kuishimbo/

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