Acknowledgments

I would like to express my profound gratitude to all authors who graciously offered their time and expertise to participate in this volume. They define patience and perseverance in carrying this project to the finish line even though the bulk of our collaboration took place during a global pandemic. I know all of us have faced varying degrees of personal challenges during the last few years, and the fact that this set of individuals has overcome so much while still prioritizing their contribution to this volume makes it all that much more meaningful.

I would also like to thank my co-author of the volume’s introduction, Maria Polinsky, who has inspired all researchers of heritage languages in so many ways over the years, not only through her own work, but also through her encouraging and supportive attitude toward anyone interested in heritage languages. Her seminal 2018 book served as one of the primary inspirations for proposing the current volume.

Furthermore, I am indebted to the peer reviewers from all over the world who allocated time to reading and providing detailed feedback on chapters across this volume. Their generosity, despite receiving my review request in the midst of a pandemic, is very much appreciated.

Helen Barton and Isabel Collins of Cambridge University Press were instrumental in this multiyear endeavor from start to finish. I am grateful to them for their enthusiasm toward the contents of this volume and for their approachability, efficiency, and professionalism.

Finally, I thank my loving family for listening to me talk about topics related to this volume at home, while also embracing the idea that we, as heritage speakers ourselves, should be proud of our varieties of heritage languages and our efforts to maintain cross-generational connections to them.