Translocal Discourse in Biliteracy

In "Reading Across Communities" in Biliteracy Practice: Examining Translocal Discourse and Cultural Flows in Literature Discussions, Carmen Medina looks at how bilingual/biliterate kids construct meaning following a read-aloud and during group storytelling sessions.  Medina argues that these discussions open up spaces for meaning-making that move across time and geographical distance.  Furthermore, children who bring with them non-dominant cultural elements are keenly aware that the understandings they bring are not always appreciated or are appreciated less fully than they might be.  These kids come to recognize that certain forms of knowledge are valued only in their home countries or cultures.  But by allowing for a greater range of accepted responses that includes kids' personal histories, cultural knowledge, and pop culture or popular imaginaries (sets of symbols and knowledge in a particular social group), teachers can improve student engagement and sense of belonging.  

I remember a number of instances in China when I observed an apparent breakdown in knowledge across space even among adults.  For example, there comes a point in any friendship between a Chinese person and a foreigner when the concept of 上 火 (shang huo) eventually comes up.  In traditional Chinese medicine, certain foods are known to induce a fire-type reaction in the body.  Naturally, my Chinese friends at some point would want to know how to say this in English and I would have to explain that this concept does not really exist in the West.  Try as I may to be sensitive to this cultural difference, this stark contrast in knowledge is difficult to reconcile.  A typical response might be something like "well, in China, chillies cause you to break out" as if chillies and human bodies agree to operate according to different rules depending on their geographical location.  Another example where the "knowledge" I bring seems to invalidate Chinese knowledge came about when I asked my friend not to feed my dog chicken bones.  Chicken bones, I explained (somewhat paternalistically, I am sure) can splinter and get stuck.  "Yeah, but this dog is Chinese though.  She'll be fine." 

At a global scale, Western knowledge may be perceived as occupying a dominant position relative to traditional Chinese knowledge.  When these two types of knowledge reveal themselves to be at odds, even within China, the explanation may lie in different knowledge sets being applicable in different geographical locations, much in the same way that Medina observes children applying cultural understandings differently in one location versus another.

Having seen how easily knowledge can be invalidated, even when the non-dominant culture has a "home court advantage", I will be doubly aware of how I can expand the range of valued understandings.