Why Do Most Parents In West Not Teach Punjabi To Their Children?

[chatanga]

I never take non-punjabi speaking person seriously if we are in a group talking about core Sikh issues..

I wouldnt go to that extreme, as I know a few Sikhs awho are new to this path, and their Panjabi is abysmal, but they are working on it. To me that is the key, we should be developing our Panjabi skills. All of us.

Some of the younger Sikhs on Sikh Channel or Sikh TV make me cringe with their Panjabi speaking.

[Jonny101]

I wouldnt go to that extreme, as I know a few Sikhs awho are new to this path, and their Panjabi is abysmal, but they are working on it. To me that is the key, we should be developing our Panjabi skills. All of us.

Some of the younger Sikhs on Sikh Channel or Sikh TV make me cringe with their Panjabi speaking.

You have made a valid point. I have seen many Sikhs born and raised in the west who can hardly speak punjabi but they are very Panthic and Sikh minded. I wouldn't say it is their fault that they can barely speak Punjabi, the fault lies with the parents of those Sikhs who did not speak Punjabi with their children, the result is that their children feel handicapped when trying to speak Punjabi.

But to those who are reading this please speak Punjabi with your children. Take them to Punjab often so they can feel a connection to the language and the land of their parents.

[SevadaarEKhalsa]

I was born in a foreign country but when people hear me speak they think I'm a freshy lol - proud of my theth pendu punjabi tho (Doabi dialect). All Punjabi Sikhs should learn theth Punjabi and allow the superficial Hindi and English word our shehri brethren use

A question to sangat:

Do converts to the Sikh faith have to learn Punjabi? - I have seen that we kind off force them to learn Punjabi, while in my opinion they should only be able to read the Gurmukhi script (too read Gurbani ofcourse). Others than that Gurbani is not really in Punjabi only (its in so many languages). I mean do we really have to Punjabify them?

Can't they just exist with their own cultures + Sikhi like we have Pakistani Muslims, Afghani Muslims, Maghrebi Muslims etc?

Just something I think about when the subject of "Punjabi and Sikhs" come up.

[JSinghnz]

I was born in a foreign country but when people hear me speak they think I'm a freshy lol - proud of my theth pendu punjabi tho (Doabi dialect). All Punjabi Sikhs should learn theth Punjabi and allow the superficial Hindi and English word our shehri brethren use

A question to sangat:

Do converts to the Sikh faith have to learn Punjabi? - I have seen that we kind off force them to learn Punjabi, while in my opinion they should only be able to read the Gurmukhi script (too read Gurbani ofcourse). Others than that Gurbani is not really in Punjabi only (its in so many languages). I mean do we really have to Punjabify them?

Can't they just exist with their own cultures + Sikhi like we have Pakistani Muslims, Afghani Muslims, Maghrebi Muslims etc?

Just something I think about when the subject of "Punjabi and Sikhs" come up.

It is great to know that you can speak fluent Punjabi and be ever grateful to your parents to give you this gift of teaching you your mother language.

It is very important for every Sikh parent to teach Punjabi to their children so that they remain connected to their great religion and rich culture.

I don't think anyone is compelling converts to Sikh faith to learn Punjabi. They can do so at their own pace.

[SidhuS]

How about the simple fact that some families may have parents from two different religions ... Their kids brought up as sikhs BUT the language in common is english and whichever country their in's native language ? Just because you cannot speak punjabi doesnt make you less than in the Gurus & Gods eyes. Anyone who feels that way needs to reflect on themselves as a religion is not based on the language, its based on the teachings.

[learningkaur]

Sometimes it’s because the parents Punjabi themselves isn’t great and they aren’t confident to talk fluently to the child. My grandparents are from India but my parents are from England, I’m from England, my kids are from England. I can speak enough punjabi to get by, and read and write but my siblings can only talk basic home type of chat through my grandma like ’do you want tea’ etc but that’s all. 

I had a phase where I felt my kids won’t need to know punjabi due to my negative association of punjabi with the culture of men drinking all the time, Bhangra, and annoying indians gossiping and nothing more, I only cared for them to be able to read Gurmukhi. However now I have realised that I do want them to learn it just so they can understand katha, vichar and have conversations at the gurdwara. Other than for sikhi I don’t care for being punjabi, I just don’t like all the other actions that punjabi people tend to do like listed above.
 

Other than grandparents there’s only one uncle married in from India in my family, everyone else is English speaking so my kids won’t have Many opportunities to practice unfortunately. 

[learningkaur]

On 4/30/2012 at 9:59 AM, S1ngh said:

I never take non-punjabi speaking person seriously if we are in a group talking about core Sikh issues..

Regardless how panth dardi or panthic you are, if you do not try to learn, speak or write our mother language then my friend you are not serious about Sikh issues. If we are not proud of our boli then I don't know what we are...

Excuse me those who say all languages are same and it doesn't matter for a Sikh not knowing punjabi. Language is foundation in order to learn about our culture and history.. surely books are translated but reading it in our own Gurmukhi lipi is another raas.

You don’t take them seriously- that’s very judgmental and a very big assumption for you to make on their behalf, they could be more spiritual than the ones who do speak punjabi. Everyone is on their own path. They may learn later or be insecure about not knowing punjabi themselves. 

[ChardikalaUK]

This happens to pretty much every immigrant group. By the 3rd and 4th generation the mother language is gone. Just look at America, the Americans of Italian, German, Dutch and French descent can no longer speak their original languages.

If language means so much to you then it's best not to move from your place of origin.

[Jonny101]

On 6/14/2020 at 3:00 AM, learningkaur said:

I had a phase where I felt my kids won’t need to know punjabi due to my negative association of punjabi with the culture of men drinking all the time, Bhangra, and annoying indians gossiping and nothing more, I only cared for them to be able to read Gurmukhi. However now I have realised that I do want them to learn it just so they can understand katha, vichar and have conversations at the gurdwara. Other than for sikhi I don’t care for being punjabi, I just don’t like all the other actions that punjabi people tend to do like listed above.
. 

Do white people also not do the above listed negative things that you associate with the Punjabi language? Plenty of English speaking  white people also drink, do drugs, party all night and God knows what else. 

I think what you are associating with the Punjabi language is Bhangra culture aka Kunjar Culture. This started in the UK during the late 70s and 80s and ended up influencing Punjabis in India and worldwide on how they party, drink and celebrate.

If one asks their elders who are in their 80s on how Punjabis long ago conducted weddings or celebrated during family functions or gatherings it was nothing like the depravity we now see among today's Kalyugi minded Punjabis 

[learningkaur]

47 minutes ago, Jonny101 said:

Do white people also not do the above listed negative things that you associate with the Punjabi language? Plenty of English speaking  white people also drink, do drugs, party all night and God knows what else. 

I think what you are associating with the Punjabi language is Bhangra culture aka Kunjar Culture. This started in the UK during the late 70s and 80s and ended up influencing Punjabis in India and worldwide on how they party, drink and celebrate.

If one asks their elders who are in their 80s on how Punjabis long ago conducted weddings or celebrated during family functions or gatherings it was nothing like the depravity we now see among today's Kalyugi minded Punjabis 

I agree regarding white people, but I can’t help how negative experiences in my life mainly with males in my family and alcohol have made me feel.