🎤 Picture this: in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the Chinese mainland, almost every member of an ethnic minority is fluent in their mother tongue—whether it’s Uygur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz or another Turkic language. That’s a splash of color in a world where many indigenous tongues are fading away. 🌈🗣️
Professor emeritus Barry Sautman at HKUST highlights a stark contrast: in the United States, only about 10% of Native Americans still speak ancestral languages, and among Hispanics just around 20% stay fluent in Spanish. 📉🇺🇸
So what’s behind Xinjiang’s linguistic success? 📚 Schools, local media and community programs often teach in Uygur and other minority languages alongside Mandarin. Family life, neighborhood gatherings and cultural festivals keep these languages alive and vibrant.
For young people, this means growing up with a deep sense of identity and heritage. And for curious travelers or researchers, it’s a living lab of how communities can balance local traditions with global connections. 🌍✨
Who do you think is at greatest risk of losing their linguistic heritage? 🤔 Share your thoughts below! 💬
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
