first generation immigrants from taiwan usually share a common language, mandarin, although many also speak taiwanese hokkien, and to a lesser extent, the hakka language. this depends on heritage and whether the individuals are exposed to mandarin through mandarin chinese schools. many first generation immigrants educated before 1945 speak japanese as their second native language. as with most immigrants to the united states, linguistic fluency in the heritage language quickly disappears in the second generation. many second generation taiwanese americans are exposed to taiwanese, often through older relatives who are most fluent in taiwanese hokkien but their level of proficiency varies. a few second generation immigrants speak taiwanese hokkien as their heritage language and know little mandarin, while others, especially whose families are from the taipei metropolitan area, speak mandarin as their heritage language and know little taiwanese hokkien. first second generation taiwanese immigrants of hakka descent tend to speak better mandarin as their heritage language. there are many first generation taiwanese immigrants of full hakka heritage who speak all three languages. taiwanese americans of mixed hoklo and hakka heritage may speak only mandarin as their heritage language.