On October 18, the Los Angeles Times ran a story about the disagreement over whether educators should use traditional or simplified characters when teaching Chinese in American schools. The answer varies even within the San Francisco Unified School District; Jose Ortega and Starr King use simplified characters while Alice Fong Yu, West Portal, and the CIS De Avila use traditional.
Schools a battleground over dueling Chinese scripts
Decisions over teaching the simplified characters used in mainland China versus the traditional ones used in Taiwan stir passions among parents over politics and cultural pride
By Raja Abdulrahim
Los Angeles Times, October 18, 2009
For nine years, Sutoyo Lim’s son studied Chinese with private tutors and at language schools. He learned to write in “simplified script,” characters with thinly spread strokes commonly used in mainland China.
But that all changed when Lim’s 15-year-old son began taking Chinese classes at Arcadia High School this year. He was given two months to make the transition from “simplified” to the more intricate “traditional” script used in Taiwan.
Once the grace period is over, homework and exam answers written in simplified script will be disqualified — regardless of accuracy. “To me, it does not seem right,” Lim said. “I’m not happy with being forced to choose the language that’s going to be obsolete.”
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Kristine Shen, left, and Jasmine Wu study at the Westside Chinese School. Backers of simplified script say it will be more practical for children to know, while supporters of the traditional form cherish it as an ancient tradition. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Mandarin Immersion Parents Council 
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