Bao & Bun's Bilingual Journey

After our last book club reading discussion, I realized that the gap between families actively teaching their kids to read Chinese and those who aren’t is growing. While many of us on this journey understand that there’s no shortcut to speaking, listening, and reading Chinese, I’ve noticed that getting kids to a proficient reading level isn’t a priority for most bilingual families. Either it’s not on their radar at all, or other priorities take precedence.

This realization made me feel a bit disheartened—like the circle of families striving for a higher level of Chinese proficiency is shrinking. No matter how much I emphasize the benefits of strong Chinese skills, the reality is that it’s simply not a priority for everyone.

And as this circle becomes smaller, I’m beginning to understand why Guavarama talks less about their children’s Chinese studies. Sometimes, when I share my own experiences, I worry that it might come across as pretentious or unattainable, especially for families just starting out.

That said, I have connected with some incredible parents, like Oliver, Guavarama and 安媽, who have older kids with high levels of Chinese. But beyond that… is this really all there is?