“The World Capital of Endangered Languages” Article Reflection No. 89 (2/24/2024)

Article: “The World Capital of Endangered Languages”

Reflection:

In the article “The World Capital of Endangered Languages”, journalist Ruven Afanador provides an overview of the threatened or endangered languages within or near New York City, a metropolitan region with the majority of at-risk languages. Featuring Ross Perlin, a linguist who has aimed to document the threatened languages for more than a decade, this article provides awareness about the inherent diversity of verbal and written language across one of the most popular cities in the U.S. As detailed in the article, Perlin currently leads the Endangered Language Alliance, a group that collects information on New York City’s endangered languages, with linguist Daniel Kaufman. According to the article, this endeavor to study and closely examine fading languages connects back to the importance of the “how” behind a language’s survival, which can come down to “sharing life with those who speak it” (Afanador).  

Given how language is so closely associated with human identity and ancestral culture, I admire those who are actively seeking ways to preserve the heritage. Saving a part of one’s culture amid this world of dominant lingua franca(s) and globalization honestly seems like a daunting, huge prospect. But taking that stand and pursuing that endeavor is surely rewarding, not only for that culture’s people but also those who get to learn about that culture too.