In January 2023 we started a play and learning group for Cantonese Chinese speaking children. It was born of frustration of having no resources for Cantonese families in the Portland area, as all schools and programs run in Mandarin. We currently have over 150 participating families, the majority with children under 6 years old. Cantonese education in Portland does not not exist, missing a critical learning window in these early stages of life.
Hello new friends!
Hi! I’m Theola and I’m so happy you are here. I am a 2nd generation CBC (Canadian born Chinese) who now lives in Portland, OR with my husband, stepdaughter and young son.
My mother and grandmother who lived with us, are from Hong Kong. My father’s side of the family is from Guandong Province, in Taishan County.
Our family spoke Cantonese at home, and I attended Cantonese weekend and summer school as a child. I am conversationally comfortable in Cantonese, though similar to most ABC’s (American Born Chinese) and CBC’s, English is the language I am most fluent in.
Now, married to an American, we speak mostly English at home though I speak to my son daily in Cantonese as best I can. As I am not a native speaker, but I push myself to teach him what I do know and keep learning together in the process.
My mission is to
Improve my own Cantonese
Teach my child Cantonese
Encourage others to speak Cantonese
Create community for Cantonese speakers and their families