Parenting with an Accent with Author Masha Rumer
Episode 77 - March 17th, 2022
I am parenting with an accent.
My Finnish husband and American me are attempting to raise multilingual kids in Germany. And… well… it’s not great and there is a lot of guilt around our lack of success. Then I received Parenting with an Accent and realized, I am not alone.
Author Masha Rumer was born in the former Soviet Union. As a teenager in the 90’s, her family sold everything, and sought refuge in the United States. Her immigrant experience, becoming a parent and the stories in between led her to research how language and culture is passed between generations after immigration.
Now for a disclaimer:
In this interview, we talk about Russian language, literature and food.
This interview was recorded on February 21st, the Monday before Russia invaded Ukraine. Masha wants you to know she is horrified by the war, in no way supports it, and is worried about her relatives in Ukraine.
In an interview for KQED, Masha said:
“Many of us left the former Soviet Union because we don’t agree with the policies, and yet we’re still finding it reverberates all over the world all over again… It’s a very complicated relationship. Many of us speak the Russian language, which was forced upon people from across the former Soviet Republics. But at the same time, it’s the language we grew up with, and now we’re finding ourselves in a difficult time where we’re ashamed of what the government is doing.”
In her book she explores the relationship we have with the languages we inherit
And how that impacts our willingness to speak “other” languages in a new host country. because of the impression it would give.
So, along with a collective stance against the war and a united support for Ukraine, I’d like to put out a friendly reminder that not all Russian speakers agree with the politics their language is associated with, especially right now. Let’s be kind to one another.
Who is Masha Rumer?
www.masharumer.com
Masha Rumer is the author of Parenting with an Accent – How immigrants honour their heritage, navigate setbacks, and chart new paths for their children.
Masha was born in the Former Soviet Union and immigrated to the USA with her family in the 90’s as a teenager. She floated in between assimilation and her heritage for years, not feeling fully a part of either world.
As she entered the workforce and dating life, she was drawn back to Russian food and the tastes of her youth. And so it was, that over a plate of Herring Under a Fur Coat, that a midwestern American won her heart by connecting to her roots.
Now they are married with two kids and trying to balance cultures, languages and parenting itself in the beautiful Bay Area of California.
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