I’m currently travelling in America and the general comments I have been getting from the old folks have been the same everywhere I go.
- They are happy to hear my children understand and speak in Tongan
- They are happy to hear a mother speak in Tongan to their children
- Their comments include “Vaivai ‘a ‘Amelika” America fails when it comes to passing on the language.That their own children understand little of the language.
But is it really only America with this problem? I think the problem is everywhere. Parents and grandparents and the community need to make the Tongan language a priority. Loose the language and you lose the culture and ones identity.
Let's learn Tongan 
I think that language loss is a common occurrence in a lot of places, but especially in America. Then you have Americans actually going to Tonga and putting up signs stating to “speak English only”, such as at the Mormon school facilities in Liahona and in Vava’u. Unacceptable in my opinion.