In this article we draw on our family histories of language loss to stimulate
public discussion of the consequences of linguistic attrition for public school
students in the United States. Our concerns for multilingualism, antiracism,
and peace—and the salient connections among these three—are rooted in our
lived experiences. Through an exploration of our family histories, we examine
the ways in which empire and language identity can interact to shape decisions
made by individual speakers of minority languages. We argue that multilingualism
is a valuable resource for countering xenophobia, and that the
teaching of foreign and world languages adds an important dimension to
engaging empire, promoting peace and solidarity, and ultimately redefining
what is legitimately “American.” We call attention to the potential power of
well-designed educational policies to support heritage language maintenance,
to promote language rights, and to respond to dangers posed by the disproportionate
power accorded to English