A potentially negative force in achieving momentum for moving in this direction is the existing system, or systems, that support Chinese language education in the United States. More specifically, it is the existence of a large and loose network of what have been alternately called Chinese “community schools,” “heritage language schools,” and “Saturday schools,” the latter designation based on the frequent need to hold classes on a Saturday, when either a public school building or church would be most readily available.

Originally established in the San Francisco Bay area during the early years of the 20th century, these community-based programs’ principal initial purpose was the preservation of Chinese customs and traditions among immigrant populations, with much emphasis on cultural awareness and a true education in the language, as opposed to taking classes in Chinese.

Beginning in the 1950s, regionally based interaction and communication among these individual schools led to the formal creation of a number of community school organizations, in some cases preceding the establishment of the more mainstream college- and university-professor-based Chinese teacher organizations. Read the rest of this entry »