Language is how conscious beings communicate with one another. Humans are not the only
animals on Earth that have a language system, other animals can communicate using their
own form of language. Language doesn’t necessarily have to be spoken words, there are various
ways of communicating to one another. You can communicate through your hands, your tone of
voice, facial expressions, etc.

Imagine a scenario where you worked in a grocery store and a customer asked you to
help them find something in a foreign language. You may not understand them through spoken
language, but their hand gesture may give you hints of what they’re trying to look for. This is a
common universal experience for tourists or immigrants. I gave this particular example because
my father went through this same exact experience when he immigrated to America in the 1990s.
My father wasn’t able to speak English at all but he went his way using hand gestures.
Growing up, I had to help my mom and dad with translating, from speaking to a sales
representative, explaining the utility bills, to speaking with their doctors. Even though I wasn’t
able to comprehend a lot of the things they wanted me to translate for them, I was expected to
understand more than them just because I am a native english speaker, completely disregarding
my age. My parents’ language barrier would frustrate me often as a kid. Eventually my parent’s
English improved as they had to communicate with customers at work daily.

Although I was frustrated by my parent’s language barrier, I soon came to understand
their circumstances when I visited their home country, Bangladesh. I am not very proficient in
speaking Bangla because I would always speak English at home. Talking to the locals was
difficult and they would just laugh at me for speaking broken Bangla and I would be referred to
as ‘whitewashed’. I became frustrated that no one took me seriously when I tried to initiate a
conversation. I felt as if I was a ghost. This vacation was a teaching moment for me to see
through the lens of my parents as immigrants. Now, whenever I hear someone struggling to
speak English, I remember how I felt in Bangladesh. It’s important to be patient and
understanding. After all, we’re all just trying to connect and be heard, no matter where we’re
from or what language we speak.

Ultimately, what we all go through as human beings shows that we can get past language
problems, like when immigrants struggle to speak, or when people have hidden biases against
others who are different. Language, whether it’s talking or other ways we communicate, is like a
bridge that helps us come together and learn about each other, even when it feels like we’re too
different to connect at first. Through all of this, I learned the importance of empathy.