Tan grew up with what she describes as two “Englishes.” The first English she grew up to know was Broken English. This broken English is what her mother spoke to her. It was her way of communication. Although it was her mother who spoke this broken English she was constantly pushed away from pursuing her true passion for English. In her essay Tan Mentions that teachers in her school would push the asian students who came from families with broken English towards subjects other than English. She and many other students born into these families were pushed to focus on math and science regardless of their high or average grades in English. Being from a family of broken English Tan almost lost the chance and opportunity to do what she actually
