The Language Kathy Chen Refused to Let Her Daughter Forget | From Where to Here

Kathy 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 #LanguageLearning #ImmigrantStories #CulturalIdentity #BilingualLife #ChineseCulture ---------- 📍 CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - She Left China and Didn't Look Back 00:00:33 - What the Lunar New Year Actually Means 00:01:12 - The Family Who Picked Her Up at the Airport 00:01:41 - Fifteen Years Without Going Home 00:02:03 - The Change Was Dramatic. Good and Bad. 00:02:37 - A Children's Song She Never Forgot 00:03:01 - Granny, Granny, I Love You So Much 00:03:34 - Why Lunar New Year Beats American New Year 00:04:11 - The Whole Family Makes Dumplings Together 00:04:43 - Red Envelopes and What They Really Mean 00:05:17 - Learning British English in China Was a Problem 00:05:54 - Half My Life Here. American English Wins. 00:06:26 - English Makes No Sense and She Can Prove It 00:07:03 - She Still Teaches It to a Little Boy Every Week 00:07:28 - Studying a Language Is Studying a Culture 00:08:07 - She Hugged Back. Eventually. 00:08:33 - In China, Yes Doesn't Always Mean Yes 00:09:15 - She Spoke Chinese at Home. Her Daughter Didn't. 00:09:48 - Her Daughter Flew to China to Remember 00:10:22 - Why This Country Needs to Keep Its Languages 00:11:01 - Language Is How You Find a Friend on the Street 00:11:30 - She Learned Spanish at Work Just Because She Could 00:12:10 - Everyone Came From Somewhere. That's the Point. 00:14:30 - The One Thing Worth Passing Down 00:15:20 - Language Legacy. What It Was Built For. ---------- 🤝 EPISODE SPONSOR Red Cat Coffee House This 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. ---------- ✨ FREE RESOURCE Want to break the language barrier anywhere in the world? Grab 5 Phrases That Unlock Any Culture → https://fromwheretoherepod.com/5phrases Don’t just be a tourist. Be a connector. ---------- 🎧 LISTEN TO THE LATEST EPISODE 📺 YouTube:    • Empowering Latinas in the U.S.: Diana Mart...   🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5JsFfmB... ---------- ABOUT THE PODCAST Thoughtful conversations exploring cultures, languages, and connection. From Where to Here is hosted by Alexandra Lloyd and shares real stories that bridge cultural gaps and spark understanding. ---------- ✨ FOLLOW FOR MORE language & culture content: 📸 Instagram:   / fromwheretoherepod   🎵 TikTok:   / fromwheretoherepod   📘 Facebook:   / fromwheretoherepodcast