E22 Language Legacy | The Language Kathy Chen Refused to Let Her Daughter Forget

Send us Fan MailKathy Chen left China in 1981 with British English in her ears and a country she wouldn't see again for 15 years. Now a PhD-holding grandmother figure in Birmingham, she still speaks Chinese at home and still corrects herself when she spells "colour" the wrong way.This is Episode 22 of From Where to Here, and it's part of something bigger than a podcast episode. The Language Legacy series pairs Alabama teenagers with immigrant and refugee elders to capture what gets lost between generations: the lullabies, the idioms, the unspoken rules of a culture that don't translate. In this conversation, a young Vietnamese student named Minh, one year in the US, sits down with Kathy to ask the questions that most people never think to ask an elder until it's too late.They talk about what the Chinese New Year actually means when you're 10,000 miles from home. Why dumpling-making matters more than the dumplings. What it felt like to hear your own language on a street in a foreign city. And why Kathy says Americans are more honest than they realize, because in China, "yes" doesn't always mean yes.There's also a moment where Kathy sings. A children's song from memory. Granny, granny, granny, I love you so much. You're here like a white cloud. It's 30 seconds long and it will stay with you.If you're learning a second language, raising bilingual kids, or just trying to understand what it costs to rebuild yourself in a new country, this one's for you.🎙️ From Where to Here is a podcast about language, cultural identity, and what happens when home stops being just one place. New episodes drop monthly. Subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next.📩 Grab the free guide, 5 Phrases That Unlock Any Culture, at fromwheretoherepod.com/5phrases----------🤝 EPISODE SPONSORRed Cat Coffee HouseThis episode is brought to you by Red Cat Coffee House and their Landmark Series Coffees. You can find the coffee blends online at https://theredcatcoffeehouse.com/shop/, at your Red Cat locations, or at your local Piggly Wiggly.#LanguageLearning #ImmigrantStories #CulturalIdentity #BilingualLife #ChineseCulture----------📩 Let’s stay connected.Join my email list list for thoughtful reflections, resources, and behind-the-scenes moments I only share there.🎧 Subscribe & FollowFollow From Where to Here on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen so you don’t miss a conversation.📱 More language & culture, daily. Find me on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @fromwheretoherepod🤎 If this episode meant something to you…Leave a review or share it with someone who’d love it too.