At a weekend school in the US state of Virginia, language classes serve a dual purpose for young Uyghurs -- cultural preservation, and access to a unique vocabulary to discuss the plight of relatives in China. "As the situation worsens back home, you’ll actually see more people kind of looking to connect more with their culture and have their kids learn about being Uyghur and have the Uyghur language maintained," says the school's co-founder, Irade Kashgary. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES