Bilingual Children In Hawai'i Their Languages, School Lives And Cultural Identity

Abstract

This study uses a case study approach to understanding the lives of English-Japanese bilingual children in Hawaii, whose parents or mothers are from Japan. It focuses on the main three issues, language, school lives, and cultural identity. To maintain Japanese language and cultural values, all ,the children in this study attend weekend supplemental Japanese school called Hoshuuko, while they attend local English school during weekdays. This study also describes the features ofHoshuuko, and discusses its advantages and disadvantages as expressed by the informants. The focal children are divided into three categories, such as Japan-Focused Returning Students, Japan-Focused Non-Returning Students, and Dual Nationality Students, depending on their family backgrounds. Interviews with mothers are included in order to analyze the results from their point of view. Some suggestions and recommendations are made in the final chapter to help educators relate more sensitively and productively with these children and parents who have dual languages and cultural values. HI