# @ryanalexh on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DIwHkTKzQQr
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/29743724-ryanalexh-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/dfa71cdceb.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-04-22T14:15:00.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Ryan Alexander Holmes (何仁安) (@ryanalexh) — https://gondola.cc/ryanalexh

## Caption

There’s a deep irony in the double standard that plays out when it comes to language and belonging. In America, a Chinese person speaking imperfect English is often met with impatience, mockery, or even hostility—as if fluency is a requirement for legitimacy, and any accent or mistake is a failure to assimilate. But flip the scenario: an American in China struggling through broken Mandarin is usually met with encouragement, even admiration. Locals will smile, compliment the effort, and often go out of their way to help. It’s a stark contrast that reveals how language is often weaponized in the U.S. as a gatekeeping tool, while in many other places, it’s seen as a bridge—something to be celebrated, not judged. That double standard isn’t just about language—it’s about power, perception, and who gets to feel like they belong.
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#language #languagelearning #learnalanguage #chinese #mandarin #learnchinese #learnmandarin #learnenglish #languages #linguistics

## Stats

- **Views:** 92,143
- **Likes:** 14,252
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 235

## Tags

mandarin, languagelearning, learnalanguage, chinese, learnenglish, learnmandarin, linguistics, learnchinese, language, languages

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