Literacy in Action

As a third-year Penn State student transferring to University Park from my previous branch campus, I was excited to explore the State College area and connect with my new surroundings.

As a 21-year-old born and raised in America, it’s hard to imagine that my parents, at an age not much older than me, immigrated to the United States. Growing up, English and Mandarin Chinese were both spoken, oftentimes hilariously combined to what I dub “Chinglish.”

There are over 7,000 languages spoken in the world, crossing cultural lines and intertwining the lives of people from across the globe.

As a 21-year-old born and raised in America, it’s hard to imagine that my parents, at an age not much older than me, immigrated to the United States. Growing up, English and Mandarin Chinese were both spoken, oftentimes hilariously combined to what I dub “Chinglish.”

My passion for learning and studying language started at a young age. In my first year of elementary school, I was a student in the Spanish immersion program within my public school district in Lehigh Valley, PA.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is more adaptable to change” – Often attributed to Charles Darwin

When Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, Oleksandra fled to the United States to live safely with her sister, Svitlana, a long-term resident of State College. Since men were prohibited from exiting Ukraine at the time, she had to leave her husband and 32-year-old son behind.

I came to the United States from China in 2014. I had very little English in school in China. I grew up in a poor village. I came to the US with very little ability to communicate. I wanted to come to the US for a better way of life.

“You seem so invested in learning a new language and improving your ability to communicate with the local community, why is that?” I asked.