Picture of Wong Cin Wun

As part of a new social media campaign to celebrate linguistic diversity online throughout Asia, every week a different language activist and advocate will be taking turns managing the @AsiaLangsOnline Twitter account to share their experiences with the revitalization and promotion of their native languages. This campaign is a collaboration between Rising Voices, the Digital Empowerment Foundation, and the O Foundation.

Each week, the upcoming host will answer several questions about their background and will give a brief overview of their language. This Q&A is with Wong Cin Wun (@Kaxabu2019) who will provide a sneak preview of what she will be discussing during her week as host.

Rising Voices: Please tell us about yourself.

yaku ka Tatawan a tapulu a saw, uzay monosu mini daxe. ohoni a kawat ka dusa isit iu xasep. yaku ka hapet bizubizu daxe, iu hapet Kaxabu a axaxay. ohoni ka kaidi Lisa takaat kukusa ki aku, yaku monosu ka ha:pet mubaza Kaxabu a ahan, ka maubabaza e.

I am a 25 year old of Taiwanese origin. However, I am not an aborigine. I am very fond of the Kaxabu language and love their culture. I am now working as a part-time assistant with Prof. Elizabeth Zeitoun. As part of this job, I  have to regularly visit Kaxabu community and work with the elders especially. Soon enough, I also learnt Kaxabu.

RV: What is the current status of your language on the internet and offline?

yaku ka mubaza kalu Kaxabu a ahan saysay a mukawats. mukusa nita Suanlukus (adang a eten ni Kaxabu) liaka kalu Kaxabu a ahan maki apu padudu ohoza a axaxay. yaku ka mayaw muba’aza haki padudu Kaxabu a ahan, kuila ka iak a sanu mubizu naki a ma:azaw a da:li.

I can speak Kaxabu. Everytime I visit Shou-chen (one of the four Kaxabu villages), I converse in Kaxabu with the elders. I am not exceptionally good at speaking Kaxabu but I can hold conversations successfully to a certain extent.

RV: On what topics do you plan to focus during the week that you’ll manage the @AsiaLangsOnline Twitter account?

yaku ka mausay pakahadas nita Kaxabu a pasukuan, nita Kaxabu a arway iu yaku bizubizu a daxe sanu imu dadua mikita.

yaku ka nahaza mubizu a babizu ka”azem pasaken lia!” sen, imini a babizu ka ukuan ni Kaxabu ohoza a azem. ni babizu a bizu iu pauxut ka pauzah di nita apu Phuann-Tik-Hin kalu Kaxabu a ahan padudu a pasukuan, yaku tumala liaka mubizu ki. aubin iu hapet pakahadas sanu imu mikita.

I would like to share with everybody stories of the Kaxabu culture, their songs and my drawings about it. I drew a picture book entitled: “azem pasaken lia!” (The New Year is coming!). This is a story about the Kaxabu New Year narrated by Phuann-Tik-Hin in Kaxabu. My drawings are also based on this story and I hope to share it with everyone.

RV: What are the main motivations for your digital activism for your language? What are your hopes and dreams for your language?

pialay ka Benson Fang mu’i’iak aku alo malamat, yaku mikita imini a maisia axaxay liaka xaxakela “imini ka uzay sanu Tatawan a saw mikita ezaw, yaw nahaza langu a saw alo mikita, sinay ki mausay masaket lia ki aku!”

yaku ka mausay mubizu a babizu, kalu Kaxabu a ahan padudu a pasukuan sanu nita saw saw maubabaza Kaxabu a axaxay.

It was Benson Fang who invited me to be a part of this movement. When I saw that this campaign, I realised that this is not only for the Taiwanese but even foreigners will read this. It was then that I decided to be a part of it!

I want to draw picture books, and put across stories in Kaxabu so that we can all learn more about the Kaxabu language and culture.