Language

Yiddish once thrived among European Jews. Now, it’s considered an endangered language. But over the past few years, there’s been growing interest in the language, including in China, where students at one of the country’s most prestigious universities are now learning it.

More than 10,000 Russians are fleeing to neighboring Georgia every day to escape being drafted into the war in Ukraine. The influx is exacerbating tensions going back to Soviet times.

When Julie Sedivy was four, her family fled their native Czechoslovakia and settled in Canada. Years later, a return trip to the Czech Republic made her realize she could quickly recover her mother tongue through memories. Sedivy recounts her linguistic journey in a new book called “Memory Speaks.”

Is it easier to sing than speak in a foreign language? Taiwan-born artist Wen-hao Tien has put that question to the test as part of a new exhibit about the immigrant experience in Boston, Massachusetts.

Some Americans, like Pardis Mahdavi, feel caught between two worlds. Her parents immigrated to the US from Iran, and she’s never really felt completely at home in either country. So now, she’s adopted a hyphenated identity.