Amy Tan

Christopher Valencia

1222 Warren Street

12777 Astoria Street

San Fernando, CA 91340

Sylmar, CA 91342

September 3, 2015

Dear Ms. Tan

Your story Mother Tongue was very well written. I love the moral behind the story. I can relate to
everything that you went through because I had the same experience. Except it wasnt about my
mom, it was about my grandma. Everything that your mom went through my grandma went
through it. My grandma came from Mexico as an immigrant. She came from Mexico when she
was a teenager. She didnt know anything about America. All she knew is what her parents and
husband had told her. Her husband is my grand-father. My grand-father also did not know
anything about America. My grandparents came here to look for a better life. They both had to
learn how to speak and write English in order to live here. Eventually they learned or at least
they tried to learn how to speak and write English. My mom, who is my grand-parents first child,
would tell me stories of when she was little of how people would treat them because they did not
speak correct English. Their English was like how you said broken. I also seen experiences
with my grandma of her getting treated differently because of her English. My grandma would
take care of me a lot because my mother would work every day. So I went to a lot of places with
her, where she had to speak English to people. Ive seen people talked bad to her because she
couldnt speak English although I was young so I did not care or understand. As I grew older I
started to understand why people didnt know what she was saying. When I was a little boy I
understood her clearly, but when I was older I had to think about was she said or sometimes I

even asked her to repeat what she said. I started to see that some words that she said were not
appropriate English language. As I became more educated I found that she couldnt really speak
English. Although she knew what she was saying she just couldnt put in right English language.
I agree with you when you say that people should stop saying broken or Watered-down
because I see that as an offensive term towards people who dont speak proper English although
they have tried their best to learn it. For example my grandma I know for a fact that she has tried
to speak proper English its just not that easy for her. Now, in her later ages she doesnt really
speak English anymore, she speaks her native language because she doesnt need to speak
English to people that much. She still does use it when needed but that is it. I love and agree with
this story that you have wrote because I understand what you have gone through and understand
how it feels. You are definitely not the only person. I enjoyed this reading so much and I just
want to say thanks for not making me feel like I was the only one that felt how you did youre
your mom but instead it was with my grandma.
Sincerely,
Christopher Valencia