They speak what? Where?

Migrant tongues: places with an unusual second language

Image: Towfiqu barbhuiya

Migrations, trade, and other historical events have contributed to the spread of languages to regions far from their origins. But sometimes, we arrive at a new location expecting to hear a particular language, only to be surprised by the use of a language we wouldn’t expect. Here are 10 places in the world where an unsuspected language is spoken daily.

Image: Catrin Ellis

Welsh is the sort of language one wouldn’t expect to hear outside Wales, so its presence in southern Argentina often comes as a shock. During the 19th century, a group of Welsh people sailed across the Atlantic looking for a place where they could preserve their culture, which was threatened by English colonial rule. They arrived in Patagonia and founded Y Wladfa, or ‘the colony.’ Despite the harsh weather conditions, the colony subsisted and expanded, maintaining the Welsh language and traditions. Today, Argentina has the highest number of Welsh speakers outside Wales.

Image: Miikka Luotio

Italian is the official language of Italy, but most regions have their own distinct languages. Venetian is spoken in the north-east region of Veneto, but also in the Mexican town of Chipilo, a place that received an influx of migrants from a Venetian town called Segusino. These people spoke Venetian rather than Italian, a language that they were able to maintain thanks to Chipilo being somewhat isolated from other towns. Nowadays, Chipileño is a distinct dialect within the Venetian language.

Image: Josh Reid

Gimli, located north of Winnipeg, the capital of the Canadian province of Manitoba, was established by Icelandic settlers. It is the largest Icelandic community outside Iceland, and it has preserved many Icelandic customs and traditions. While the Icelandic language is still used and taught in Gimli, its fluency is sadly declining.

Image: ibmoon Kim

The island of Sakhalin is part of the Russian Federation, but its control has changed hands multiple times in history, having been disputed by Russia, China, and Japan. After the Russo-Japanese War, Russia ceded the southern part of the island to Japan, which brought workers from one of its colonies, Korea, to work in the coal mines. When the Soviet Union recovered Sakhalin after WWII, the Korean population was around 50,000 people. Nowadays, only a fraction of their descendants are fluent in Sakhalin Korean, which follows the North Korean standard in writing, but the Seoul dialect in speech.

Image: Lucas Gallone

Before Italy became a unified country in the 19th century, many of its regions were part of different empires or kingdoms. During the Middle Ages, the island of Sardinia was part of the Kingdom of Aragon, which later became part of the Spanish Empire. Revolts during Aragonese rule led to the arrival of Catalan settlers, and the Catalan language became widespread. Although it was later replaced by other languages in much of Sardinia, it was preserved in the city of Alghero, where it is still spoken today.

Image: Marie Martin

At the start of the 20th century, Mennonite groups looking for a place where they wouldn’t be forced to abandon their way of life relocated to the Boquerón department in Paraguay. They established several communities and transformed the arid territory into farmland. Though these groups came from different places, most of them spoke Plautdietsch, or Low German, a language that they still use in daily life. The Mennonite population in Paraguay is estimated at around 40,000.

Image: Rafaela Biazi

Portuguese is widely spoken in many Asian countries due to colonization, but this is not the case. More than 100,000 Lebanese emigrated to Brazil in the 19th and 20th centuries, where there are now more than 7 million people of Lebanese descent. While many immigrants decided to permanently stay in South America, others returned home, carrying Portuguese with them. Today, around 10,000 people in the Beqaa Valley speak Portuguese daily.

Image: Roberta Guillen

Heritage languages in the U.S. tend to disappear after a few generations, but Texas German was once the exception. Spoken by thousands of descendants of German immigrants across Texas, and markedly distinct from Standard German, Texas German was at one point granted official recognition comparable to Spanish. Sadly, as a consequence of the First and Second World Wars, the language was suppressed, and its number of speakers has since declined.

Image: FlyD

The fact that the largest Japanese community outside Japan is in South America may come as a surprise, but it is true. Japanese immigrants settled in several South American countries, but especially in Brazil, where nearly two million people are of Japanese descent. Most of them reside in the state of São Paulo. While not all Brazilian Nikkei are fluent in Japanese, it is estimated that there are between 400,000 to 450,000 speakers.

Image: Mathieu Ramus

What are the odds of Thai being spoken by 10% of the population of an archipelago in the Arctic? Quite high, if we consider that those kinds of regions are not densely populated. But how did a Southeast Asian language manage to get there? In the 1970s, many Norwegian miners from Svalbard married Thai women, who in turn became the link for other Thais who migrated looking for work. While there are only about 200 Thai speakers, this represents a sizable portion of Svalbard’s population of roughly 2,500.

TIME TO GIVE THE PBJ SANDWICH A REST

Sandwich School 101: 10 Mouth-watering Treats You Can Make At Home

Image: Raphael Nogueira

Everybody knows how to make a sandwich. You stick a bunch of ingredients between two pieces of bread and that’s it, right? If you are in a hurry and need to eat something, an improvised sandwich will probably do the trick. But there are many variations and combinations of the original recipe that can make the experience a much more enjoyable one. Take a look at the following ten and see if you can add one to your sandwich repertoire.

Image: Eaters Collective

Try a glorious combination that adds the freshness of the apple to classic sandwich ingredients. You will need 2 slices of any hearty white sandwich bread or other crusty bread, sliced about 1⁄2 inch thick, 2 tablespoons of Dijon-style or maple mustard, 2 slices deli-style Swiss cheese, 2 ounces of deli-style smoked turkey, 1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced, and 2 to 3 tablespoons butter.

Start by placing a skillet over medium-low heat. Lay four slices of bread on a flat surface. Top each with ½ tablespoon of mustard, followed by one slice of Swiss cheese. Add 2 ounces of smoked turkey and three to four apple slices. Then, top with the remaining cheese and bread. Butter the top of each sandwich and place the butter side down on the hot skillet. Butter the remaining side, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until the bread turns golden brown and the cheese melts.

Image: Hillshire Farm

A vegetarian-friendly sandwich, the Triple-Play Grilled Cheese requires 2 slices of fresh sourdough or good sandwich bread, 4 to 5 teaspoons of cream cheese, Dijon-style mustard, 1⁄3 cup of loosely packed shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, 2 to 3 very thin slices of ripe tomato, 1⁄3 cup of loosely packed shredded Havarti cheese, and 1 tablespoon of softened butter or mayonnaise.

Start by smearing one slice of bread with half of the cream cheese and mustard, and cover it with the cheddar cheese. Then, lay on two or three slices of tomato, and cover with the Havarti cheese. After that, smear the other slice of bread with the remaining cream cheese, add more mustard, and place it, cream cheese side down, on the Havarti cheese. Place the sandwich on a hot skillet and cook it for 2 to 3 minutes.

Image: Eaters Collective

Sandwiches in Vermont farms can be exquisite, as this recipe shows. You will need 2 slices of whole wheat bread, brown mustard, horseradish, some sliced roast beef or other meat, a raw sliced yellow onion, and cheddar cheese.

Start by spreading one piece of bread lavishly with mustard and the other with a very thick layer of horseradish. Then, add the meat, several slices of onion, and two slices of cheddar cheese. Assemble the sandwich and enjoy.

Image: Gardie Design & Social Media Marketing

A classic sandwich, the Croque Monsieur has been around for quite some time and deserves every bit of the appreciation it receives. To make one at home, you will need 2 slices of white or sourdough bread, 1 slice of Gruyere cheese, 1 slice of smoked ham,

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 egg, 1/4 cup milk, and 2 tablespoons butter.

Start by heating a large griddle over medium heat. Then prepare one ham-and-cheese sandwich, spreading the mustard on one slice of bread only. In a shallow bowl, beat the egg and milk together. Dip both sides of the sandwich in the egg mixture. Melt the butter and grill the sandwich, flipping once.

Image: Ola Mishchenko

Just like the PBJ, this is one of those sandwiches with a name that describes its contents. To make a Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella sandwich, you will need 1 small loaf of French bread, 1 tablespoon of basil pesto (which you can substitute with olive oil), 1 large ripe tomato, sliced, salt and pepper, 2 slices of mozzarella cheese, and some fresh basil leaves.

Start by slicing the French bread on the diagonal, making at least a dozen slices. Coat one side of each slice of bread with pesto or olive oil. Then, layer on the tomato slices, season with salt and pepper, add the mozzarella slices and fresh basil leaves. Top with a second piece of bread, and you’re done!

Image: Scott Hendrickson

Sandwiches can be a gourmet food, and the French Toast Cordon Bleu is solid proof. To make one of these, you will need 2 slices of ham, 1 slice of mozzarella cheese, 2 slices of Portuguese bread or Brioche, 1 egg, 1 cup of milk or cream, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg, and some confectioners' sugar.

Prepare a normal sandwich with the ham, cheese, and bread. Then combine the egg, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon, and holding the sandwich together, dunk it into the milk and egg, but don’t soak it. Grill on both sides until golden brown. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with maple syrup.

Image: Dan Burton

Pita pockets are a great way to eat a sandwich with less bread. To make this delicious treat, you will need 1 well-drained can of tuna, 1 small firm apple, peeled, cored, and diced, 2 tablespoons of chopped sweet onion, 1 small stalk of diced celery, 1 teaspoon of curry powder, 1/2 a teaspoon of ground cumin, 1/4 cup of jalapeno jelly and 2 pita pockets.

Start by combining the tuna, apple, onion, and celery in a small bowl. Then, in a separate bowl, stir together the curry, cumin, and jalapeno jelly, add to the tuna, and mix well. Warm the pitas, cut open, and put the mix inside. Done!

Image: Yoad Shejtman

The Super Steak Sandwich won’t disappoint you. You will need vegetable oil, a cup of beer, 1 chopped garlic clove, 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon of Dijon-style mustard, 1 beef flank steak, a tablespoon of butter, 1 sliced onion, 1 cup of sliced mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon of paprika, 1 large loaf of French bread, and cheese (choose your favorite).

Start by combining the oil, beer, garlic, pepper, salt, and mustard in a medium bowl. Marinate the steak overnight in the refrigerator. In a large skillet, melt the butter and sauté the onion and mushrooms with the paprika until tender and lightly browned; keep warm while cooking the steak. Remove the steak from the marinade and broil or grill for about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Slice the meat diagonally into 1/4-inch pieces. Cut the French bread into two equal pieces, then cut each piece in half horizontally. Divide the onion-mushroom mixture evenly among two pieces of bread, top with meat, and cover with the remaining bread.

Image: Youjeen Cho

This fresh take on a classic adds an ingredient that has already been present in some of the previous recipes. To make this tuna sandwich, you will need 1 can of well-drained chunk tuna, 2-3 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 2-4 slices of red onion, 1 Golden Delicious or Granny Smith sliced apple, some lettuce, and 2-4 slices of Cheddar cheese.

Mix the tuna, mayonnaise, onion, and apple together. Place a slice of lettuce on 1 piece of bread, then spread the tuna over it. Top with the cheddar cheese. Broil the sandwich without closing it and serve.

Image: Amber Fisher

Anything tastes better with bacon, and sandwiches are not an exception. To make this bacon sandwich, you will need 6 rashers of rindless back bacon, 1 white country loaf, butter, 3 tablespoons of tomato chutney, and 1 large garlic clove, peeled and cut in half.

Start by heating a frying pan, then cook the bacon for 3 minutes each side or until golden and crisp. Then, cut 6 thick slices from the loaf and butter each one on one side. Spread the chutney evenly over 3 slices of the bread and then top each with 2 rashers of bacon. Top with the other slices of bread, buttered side down, and then press together. Put the sandwiches on the pan for 2 more minutes, rub the cut sides with the garlic clove, and serve.

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