Snippet from Culture Cancer:
When Sasha had to take a course about protecting the marine environment in Catalonia, since she was working as a diver, all of the materials they were being provided were in Catalan. None in Spanish. Despite the fact that so many divers in this region are from outside of Catalonia and do not speak Catalan.
[Mind you Spanish is also an official language in Catalonia]
Actually half of the teachers for this course chose to only speak Catalan, despite a few students saying that they do not understand Catalan well, only Spanish.
One teacher asked if there is anyone who does not understand Catalan – Sasha and 3 others said they do not – and the teacher loudly, proudly and confidently said that is his right to speak Catalan and he will do so, albeit more slowly. As if you can slow-talk Korean to me, and I will get it, despite not understanding Korean.
The final exam was, of course, in Catalan only…
What is more important, enforcing your preferred language or protecting the environment? If that course was about protecting the environment, then that should be the most important, no?
I cannot imagine someone coming to Romania, where I am originally from, and I or others to refuse to speak a common language with them. To exclude and marginalize them. This is an awful situation that makes the marginalized ones hate on you and your language.
This situation in Catalonia made me think about Cancer. How cancer is basically normal cells going rogue. They work against the other cells and eventually the body. And we risk to do that among each other, which leads to a cancerous society that is going downhill.
But we cannot simply accuse some Catalans for being cunts with others. Cuntalans! Maybe we are the cunts, the outsiders?! Maybe there is a reason why they behave like that!
But the fact remains that the situation itself is cancerous. I’ve seen how “they” made me hate “them” and “their language” as a result of “their” attitude towards those who “do not speak Catalan”. And I am not the only one who feels like that. It makes us pinned against each other, just like cancerous cells damaging the body. It helps no one. If the body dies, all cells die. Even the cancer.
#catalonia #catala #catalan #spain #diving #tromsite #trom #language #discrimination