Immigrants in North Carolina Resist the U.S. "Language Graveyard"
In Emma, North Carolina, speakers of Hñähñu, an Indigenous language from Mexico, are working together to preserve their culture.
On a Friday evening, the Porvenir Community Center is filled with noise, as young children play and laugh in Spanish and English.
In another room, around 15 adults and children gather to learn and speak Hñähñu, with teacher Abel González Bueno leading the class.
Families sit together, taking notes and singing traditional folk songs, as they work to preserve their Indigenous language and culture.
The class is a testament to the community's efforts to resist the "Language Graveyard" and keep their heritage alive.
Author's note: This article is republished under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Author's summary: Immigrants preserve Indigenous language.