Tagalog for Global Filipinos
There are millions of Filipinos who have migrated to different countries around the globe for different reasons. They have built their lives and hopes in the foreign land that they have now called home. As part of adaptation to the new environment, some things get lost in the process, one of which is the ability to speak in Tagalog.
As a teacher in California, I had interactions with colleagues and students of Filipino descent who wished that they can speak Tagalog. But sometimes there are conversations such as; they were not allowed to speak Tagalog at home to lose the accent faster. At the same time the generation who were born here would reply differently with a touch of embarrassment that they don’t speak the language because they were born here. It’s different for each family since they have to do what they got to do to become successful.
When I became a grandmother, I was inspired to write Bilingual Tagalog/English Books for my grandson. Then, my family and I decided to publish them to be perused by all the children of Filipino descent in the whole world. Language could be a platform that could bring in conversation about the old country. It’s an invisible connection about food, culture, and the beauty of the Philippines.
Let’s work together in building a worldwide use of Tagalog wherever we planted ourselves. An appreciation of one’s language is a tribute to our common ancestors, it all starts with, kumusta ka kabayan?
